


Weak (and what's wrong with that)

by charmanderjones



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Background Relationships, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Humour, Minor Character(s), Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Romance, everyone loves everyone, honestly its a mess but I love it??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-01-04 17:59:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 67,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12173901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charmanderjones/pseuds/charmanderjones
Summary: “Parkinson is right, Sue.” Hermione heard herself speak before she could register what she was saying. “This year is…different. We can all feel it. We’re here for an education, sure, but I’ve spent the last seven years terrified and confused and tired. I could go for some fun.”Pansy’s expression was priceless, her jaw dropped and eyes bulging. She muttered about hell freezing over and pigs flying, and holy Merlin, who was this wild woman that replaced Hermione Granger. And Hermione shrugged in response.“I’m…yeah okay, yeah I’m in. I wouldn’t mind having a good time. We’re lucky that we got stuck with Hogwarts’ Finest, and not a bunch of pricks.” Susan let the idea roll around in her head for a moment or two before jumping on board.“Trust me, they’re still pricks.” Pansy bit the bottom of her lip in anticipation. “But cute pricks, so it’s okay.”This was an invitation to those that were ready to start over in the place where they can always feel at home: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.THE 8th YEAR STORY NO ONE ASKED FOR!!





	1. The Middle of Starting Over (ready to fly)

**Nine of the forty returned for their eighth year.**

**Of the forty students, nine wanted a second chance at their futures.**

**It was understood that they weren’t regular students, they weren’t simply there for an eighth year of education. The term ‘Elites’ was coined throughout the evolving process. The NEWT testing would be standard, but the Elites that decided to come had the opportunity to work alongside the professors and learn to master a field of magic. It was to be considered job training and would be an asset wherever they decided to go in life. The eighth year wasn’t just focused on schooling neither, but to create a new social dynamic within the walls of Hogwarts. Those that signed on for the challenge would live amongst their old peers in a House-less setting. The Elites are no longer children, but young adults who not only survived a war but contributed to the defeat of The Dark Lord. Each Elite student played roles on and off the battle field and the wizarding world thanks them profoundly. This was an invitation to those that missed their chance because the future called upon them. This was an invitation to those that were ready to start over in the place where they can always feel at home: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**

 

            Harry never stopped smiling nowadays.

            It felt almost foreign to Hermione, watching him dance around the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place with Teddy cooing away in his arms. Hermione would be washing the dishes or folding laundry as he hummed and let his heart shine for his godson. Mrs. Tonks would often come late on purpose so that Harry could have more time with the baby or she would have him come by earlier than needed to pick him up. Hermione had lost count of how many times she had been startled to find Mrs. Tonks standing silently in the doorway as she studied Harry and Teddy.

            Harry was a determined man, Hermione had always known that.

            But she also knew that he needed time.

            That started with creating a place to call his own. McGonagall had surprised Hermione and Harry about a week after they finished rebuilding Hogwarts to help them make Grimmauld Place habitable. The paint was changed and the windows cleaned, the dark portraits were completely destroyed and the stains lifted. Molly couldn’t recognize it when she came to visit, blubbering with foolish excitement. Hermione loved her room, for obvious reasons, with Harry having taken it on as a special project to say thank you. Open concept with light blue paint and a statement wall where the old brick was exposed. Harry had created a window seat to look out on the garden.

            This morning Hermione cradled Teddy, trying to feed him while Harry accepted the mail that had just flown in. Three letters and the Quibbler. “Anything interesting?”

            Harry set up the newspaper in front of Hermione so that she could read it while holding Teddy – after having taken the comics that is. He then went on to read the first letter, which was from Kingsley. The Minister liked to keep in touch with them so that they were in the loop of the ministry and were made sure they were also taking care of thmselves. “Said that Auror training starts October 1st and that I…and you have the position if we want them.”

            Hermione snorted with laughter, causing Teddy to giggle happily. Harry grimaced. They had already spoken about the topic, and Harry was just not ready. And Hermione simply just did not want to. Hermione quieted when she caught Harry’s eye though, sobered. “Ron won’t mind, Harry. This isn't about him.”

            “I know, I just…we had a plan. We were going to become Aurors _together_. That was the plan and here he goes signing up when I can barely leave the house some days. It’s not fair. I should be out there, hunting down the rest of the-.”

            “Oh shut up,” Hermione rolled her eyes and threw a smirk at Harry. He sat down in the chair across from her, glued to Teddy who had changed his hair from white to neon green. It was a sign he was almost full. “I have no doubt that you two idiots will be running around together again soon. But soon doesn’t have to be now. We all went through the same things, we were all there. But the beauty of being individuals is that we get to be effected in different ways.” Hermione could see the stress leave Harry’s shoulders. His plan had changed. He was going to take a year off. Spend time with Teddy and properly thank the people he owes so much to. “The other letters, Harry?”

            “One for you, and one for me. Both are from Hogwarts.” Hermione motioned to open them up, holding Teddy with one hand and taking a sip of her tea with the other. Harry sliced open the letters at the same time and Hermione could see his eyes drag over the contents quickly of both. “It’s an invitation.”

            “Another? Merlin. How many celebrations and funerals and weddings can we really go to? It’s been just about two months and I’m really beginning to think people just want to-.”

            “Invitation to go back to school, Hermione. Finish our education. McGonagall has sent out letters to every student from our year and has invited them to come back as _Elites_ , which is the word they came up with for the 8th years I suppose. NEWTS and she’s managed to get the professors to agree to doing apprenticeships. If the Elite so chooses, they can master in a subject. The mastery takes a full year and an additional term.” Harry paused, putting down Hermione’s letter to continue with his. “She wants to offer me the position of Defense Against Dark Arts after I finish my masters. And you’re allowed whatever position you want depending on your masters and time.”

           At that Harry stuck his tongue out at her, and he mumbled something along the lines of ‘big nerd.’

            “Here, trade you,” Hermione handed Teddy over to Harry to take a better look at her letter. It looked identical to that of their very first letters. Beautiful black ink and Hogwarts’ seal holding it together. There it was though, in black in white. She had been waiting for a sign to see what she should do next. Wanting the same time that Harry needed, but in a different way. “Well, what do you think?”

            Harry bounced Teddy on his knee, helping the young boy begin to burp and gurgle. “I won’t take no as answer, missy, you’re going back to school. Ted and I’ll be fine. It’s something to think about though, for me. Auror business is a dangerous business. And now that the curse is over, the DADA position should be pretty easy. I would have to think about it more. Imagine it. Big sweaters, cups of tea and assigning essays about how awesome I am.”

            Hermione picked up her tea and shifted her gaze to the newspaper, refusing to laugh at Harry’s enlarged ego.

            Her decision was already made.

 

* * *

 

            The truly irrational thought of walking to her death crossed Hermione’s mind as she slid open the specialized cabin designated for the Elites. She could picture Harry giving her grief for even thinking in that manner - and then would remind her what walking towards death was really like. It definitely wasn’t like walking into a compressed area with four past Slytherins.

            She wasn’t surprised to see Theodore Nott. Or Blaise Zabini for that matter.

            They had both been dedicated to their studies, some of the smartest students in their year.

            And once her eyes settled on Draco Malfoy, her memory was flooded with the time they spent together in the court room a month ago. It made sense that he would come back too. He had nowhere else to really go.

            Finally, Pansy Parkinson poked forward. Only she didn’t resemble the old Pansy that had wanted to throw Harry to Voldemort’s feet during the final battle. This Pansy was…soft. Her heavily lined eyes were less tired and shined a beautiful hazel colour. Her snarl of a smile was replaced with laugh lines and was curved into a large grin. The moment that the two girls locked eyes however, her grin dipped and her eyebrows flew upwards.

            “Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw. If it isn’t the brightest witch of our age…” Pansy filled the awkward silence in the cabin, addressing Hermione. It didn’t sound like a tease and it certainly didn’t feel like one. Pansy held her smirk but had an air of enjoyment and truth. “Can’t believe I get to bunk with one of Hogwarts’ Heroes.”

            Draco looked to shove Pansy, but was cut off when Hermione took another step forward in bravery. “My, my, my!” She leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms, with the illusion of confidence. “Aren’t I lucky? Being in the presence of the biggest bitch of our age.” 

            “Should we be worried about you ladies killing each other while the rest of us sleep?” Blaise drawled, intrigued by the situation unfolding. He rested on his knees and nudged Theo a bit to keep the sleepy young man awake to see what happens next. “If you’re going to duel, make it a public viewing.”

            “I’d pay to watch that.” Theo mumbled, using one hand to brush his hair from his eyes. Draco huffed, seemingly unimpressed with each person in a different way. Once again though, he was cut off by Hermione taking another step forward.

            This time she reached her hand out towards Pansy. Pansy immediately reciprocated the action, leading the girls in a handshake of a greeting. “Hi, my name is Hermione Granger, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

            “Pansy Parkinson, and yes, it is a pleasure to meet me.” Pansy beamed when Hermione half-laughed in response, her shoulders relaxing and shifted Draco sideways to make room beside her for Hermione to sit. Draco obliged – still quiet as he processed everything going on. “Where’s Boy Wonder and the Weasel?”

            Hermione’s smile flickered, but once again regained strength when she noted Pansy’s true interest. “Ron is helping George at the joke shop until Auror training starts up. Percy is there too for the time being, doing the office work, while Fred recovers in the hospital. And Harry…is fine. He’s with his godson and Mrs. Tonks. He’s staying at Grimmauld Place. He wants to make it the home it never was for Teddy.”

            “Did any of your little lion friends come back?” Draco spoke up, letting Hermione take her mind off her missing comrades.

            And just like that, the shadow crossed over the entrance to reveal a sight for sore eyes.

            “Wouldn’t really say I’m all that little anymore.”

            Hermione stood quickly to give Neville a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her a tad while audibly breathing in the smell of her hair. Neville had reached out to Hermione about a week after the letters had gone out, seeking advice. It didn’t take much to convince him to come back for the year.

            “Little is definitely not a word I would use to describe you. War did you _very_   well, Longbottom.” Pansy obviously checked her new housemate out, tapping her fingertips against her chin in appreciation. “You know, accept for the whole actual war part.”

            All three Slytherins paled at Pansy’s lack of filter, and even though Draco and Theo decidedly were grossed out, Blaise paled in an embarrassed agreement of sorts. Luckily Michael Corner and Terry Boot found it to be the right time to stumble down the hall in laughter and turn into the cabin. Hermione was relieved to see an ease of welcoming, everyone settling as they waited for the train to kick off on their year. It felt like they had been friends for years, for forever. The way that Theo asked Michael about his newly born nephew and how Blaise, Pansy and Neville chatted about the article released last month about the appearance of the newly sighted Raiju in Japan. And Draco reached out to accept Crookshanks who had just sauntered into the cabin as well, petting the large mixed-cat with adoration.

            “Is this it?” Hermione found herself asking no one in particular. And no one in particular answered. The train was a minute away from roaring to life and the cabin only held eight Elites. From the group that had been sorted together in their first year, these couldn’t be the only ones that chose to come back for one more. As if Merlin himself heard Hermione’s disappointment, a loud bang rattled just outside the visible hallway. “Oh.”

            A smaller than average sized raven had trouble flying between the thin alley and began to peck at the door to be let in. Stumbling after the raven was a familiar face that looked out of breath and eager.

            “I grabbed ice coffee for us from the station.”

            Susan Bones had arrived, a tray of coffee and raven in tow.

 

* * *

 

            The ride was crawling by, as if time slowed down to give the Elites the space they needed to bond and be ready for what was ahead of them. It gave Hermione the time she needed to gather herself and understand her peers. She, Susan and Pansy would be rooming together, while Draco, Theo and Blaise would take another room and Neville, Michael and Terry were happy to their own room as well. It was about half the way to Hogwarts when things finally started to calm down. Crookshanks, Halo who was Susan’s raven and Buffy who was Michael’s barn owl had all left the cabin.

            Across from Hermione sat an exhausted Theo Nott, who had the casual boy next door charm and appearance she had gotten used to over the years. His sandy brown hair had lightened from his summer spent in Brazil, where he visited his mother’s side of the family. Theo's skin was also shade darker having been exposed to the sun and a splatter of little freckles dashed across his nose. Hermione had always known that Theo was a good looking young man, as she did spend a copious amount of time with him in the library because they were Ancient Ruins partners. The large amount of female students that sat near them definitely wasn’t a coincidence. Even while napping against the side of the extended cabin, his mouth rested in a small smile that could pull the strings of Hermione’s heart.

            Next to Theo sat Michael Corner. Hermione had to remind herself that he wasn’t the whiny ex-boyfriend that Ginny had dumped over a stupid Quidditch fight. He was no longer stringy and didn’t hold an essence of edginess in his eyes. Instead, Michael had grown up. She remembered briefly that he had freed first years and was tortured on their behalf by the Carrows while at Hogwarts. He had the scars to prove it – a little one on his jaw line and a thicker one that cut across his chest diagonally. Michael had leaned out as well, and his hair was shorter. The darkness that once gleamed inside him was replaced with light.

            Neville Longbottom was across from Michael, listening to him attentively. Hermione could feel Neville’s arm around her shoulder which distracted her from the conversation. Chubby, awkward and quiet – Neville was none of these qualities anymore. Instead Neville had sprouted wonderfully, something that his gran was relieved of he explained. The Longbottom genetics were strong in him according to her. Still, his smile was crooked and at most times was shy so Hermione knew it was him deep down, but Neville had truly embodied the spirit of Gryffindor.

            The way that Pansy Parkinson’s hand rested on Neville’s thigh told Hermione that she wasn’t the only one to notice the difference. Of course, Pansy was also busy arguing with Blaise Zabini who sat in front of her. Her dark hair had grown, and she had coloured it to create an greying ombre look. If Hermione knew any better, she would think that Pansy was decades ahead in appearance. Pansy had also gained weight, replacing the startlingly skinny and jagged look with round cheeks and her chest had filled out. Pansy had a copy of Witch Weekly on her lap but was more concerned about being irritated with Blaise.

            Blaise Zabini, on the other hand, appeared to be bored with their argument. He was contently staring at Susan Bones who leaned against his legs on the ground while reading a book. Hermione could still hear Lavender’s shrill happiness as she jumped on her bed about the Italian Stallion talking to her at lunch. Hermione wasn’t blind, she knew Blaise was extremely good looking, but at the time didn’t have the patience or ability to be interested in him considering the fact that Harry had been competing in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Now though, Hermione had the moment she needed to take in his dark skin, chiseled jaw line and twinkling eyes. It didn’t take long before Hermione agreed with her past roommate about the gorgeous man.

            Susan Bones shifted on Blaise’s leg, excited by a page turn in her book. _Memoirs of a Geshia_ , a muggle book that Hermione recognized. It had been published the year before and Hermione had thumbed at it in a bookstore over the summer but never bought it…she would have to ask to borrow it. Other than Susan’s red hair and aunt, Hermione knew next to nothing about her. The war took the rest of the Bones from Susan, leaving her as the last member of the family line. During the summer she had gone to America where she spent time with her Squib aunt and muggle cousin. Studying her now though, Hermione could see she was more than her name. A smile that sparked magic and reading glasses that slid down her nose every few chapters or so, matched with the spread of freckles on her porcelain skin. Susan was taller than most girls at Hogwarts and she had lost her childish chubbiness in their sixth year. She was a delight to be around. She came back to make the new world a place her family would have been proud of.

            Bustling beside Susan on the ground was Terry Boot who was starkly different than her. His darkly tanned skin was tight against developing muscles and had a few sparsely placed moles. Hermione had to admit that they were quite cute, especially since they highlighted his fresh tattoo which banded around his bicep. Terry had always been quiet and studious, excelling in many classes and Hermione was always pleased to partner up with him. But here he was, his serious lines were transformed into a large smile and was yelling happily as he and Draco played a round of Exploding Snap.

            Hermione’s eyes sprung to Draco Malfoy as he slapped his hands forward in an attempt of tricking Terry, but to no luck. She had met with Draco a handful of times over the summer months, mostly for his series of trials. Harry had spoke on behalf on Draco and his mother which ultimately protected them from punishment. Harry pulled Hermione along for not only the trials, but the events before and after the court dates, which led to an understanding amongst the trio. And here he was again. His slicked back blond hair was wild in a playful manner, some stubble growing in and a simple softness that Hermione couldn’t quite place. Draco was undoubtedly beautiful, and finally free.

 


	2. All We Know (fighting flames of fire)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, next chapter because I have most of this story written already more and I'm trash

           Before heading off to the Sorting Ceremony, McGonagall granted the Elites access to their new dormitory. Each levitated their own luggage down the halls behind Hagrid who was leading them towards the entrance. Hermione didn’t recognize the route, especially after having to rebuild the entire school, but Susan clapped her hands excitedly after they turned their final corner.

            “We’re **so** close to the kitchens. It’s a Hufflepuff perk.” She beamed, looking to Hagrid for support. He gave a guffled laugh and nodded, still a few steps ahead of everyone. “Which also means we have quick access to the library, and the pond is just opposite this wall. They really made sure we were central, didn’t they?”

            “The Patil twins worked hard on your arrangements. They wanted to come back this year, but the lasses decided to spend time with family instead. Quite the talent, I’ve got to say.” Hagrid finally stopped in front of a full-length mirror. “Welcome home, kids.”

            No one is really all that surprised to see both Draco and Pansy dash forwards to be the first ones into their new house. Pansy yanks on Draco’s hair though and manages to reach the mirror first. She tentatively placed her hand against her reflection and leaned towards the wall. Her hand slipped through the mirror as if it were water and she pulled herself through, with her luggage floating in behind her.

            Hermione knew she wasn’t the only one gaping, intrigued by the strong magic. “The Patils did this?”

            Hagrid nodded and encouraged the rest of the Elites to make their way into the mirror.

            Hermione slid into the dormitory, the mirror’s glass drenching her in a cool, brisk air as she crossed over into the other side. It was an unusual feeling but not a terrible one. She could hear Hagrid explaining the ins and outs of the entrance, understanding that the mirror was programmed to recognize their fingerprints only – but once inside, the mirror could be pushed out to let their friends in. It really was quite wonderful.

            If the mirror was any indication as to how the rest of their home was going to look, Hermione hadn’t studied it enough. The mirror’s frame was a pure white with intricate designs of each crest on the corners. Neville, the last one to enter, let Hagrid in by swinging the door backwards.

            Sunshine blanketed the common room, highlighting the tapestries that were hung along the walls and the bookcases that surrounded several desk areas. In the centre of the room was a small, modern fireplace, with a group picture of their entire first year. The smiles and innocence and hope was almost too much for Hermione to handle, until she noticed that along both sides of the fireplace was open wall where the Patils had left notes of wanting them to leave their new memories here as well. To not dwell on the past, and to look for the future.

            The theme of white continued through the common room, many of the outer bricks an off shade and the large sofa and armchairs mix-matched in appearance but still shades of white. The dormitory was filled with pastels and neutral colours as the rugs, shelves and large window frames gave the ideology of smoothness. It was calm. It was what they needed.

            “Now through each of these doors here are pathways that lead to your old dormitories, in case you get a little homesick.” Hagrid motioned to the four House crests that were spread out through the octagonally shaped room. “But – lookie. McGonagall understands that you may want more space for yourselves, and more time away from the younger students. So we built cha’ a little kitchenette.”

            A fridge, and as Michael checked, full of snacks and drinks. The cupboards were stocked with supplies and since they were so close to the kitchen area, they were invited to grab food from the Dining Hall and then to come back to their dorm. An oval dining table was pushed to the far side where they could eat if they so chose. The kitchen opened into a square lobby area that held three doors. They led to the bedrooms where their last names were written in beautiful calligraphy above.

            “Young Ernie has quite the way with the quill,” Hagrid took in each name and let the Elites look out the large windows that feature the Quidditch pitch. “Go check out yer rooms now, and be in the hall in twenty minutes. We’ve got a Sorting to get started!”

            Pansy walks backwards towards their shared door, turning the knob and then twirled to get a full view of their new room. A deep purple was paired with the off-white, with the exposed stone of the castle and a large window in between each bed section. The beds themselves were excessive, big enough for all three girls to share one. Wooden frames but without the privacy curtains from their previous years, the beds were open to speak thoroughly between the neighbours. A door to the right led to a beautiful, pristine bathroom with a large lion-footed tub, a steam shower and an individual stall for the toilet. Across from the bathroom though was another door which was ultimately a replacement for clothing storage. It was a walk-in closet where the girls could put all of their clothes and shoes, and had room to hangout if they wanted.

            “Holy fuck,” Pansy finally muttered, stunned by her surroundings. Her eyebrows furrowed though, turning to Susan who had leaped onto her new bed happily and Hermione who was at the middle bed dropping her luggage in front. She pulled out her wand from her boot and began to transfigure a few cushions from the beds into oversized lounge bags for the centre of the room. Hermione caught onto what Pansy was doing, creating a space just for them. So she pulled out her wand from her sleeve and began to add floating candles to the ceiling to add a different level of lighting. Susan, sitting cross-legged on her bed still, untucked her wand from behind her ear and straightened her back. She began to transfigure the podiums that sat in the corners into a speaker systems connected to a radio that she conjured. “Better?”

            None of them reply, simply enjoying their refreshed home.

            “What’s the plan for tonight? The Houses usually have parties to welcome the First Years.” Susan spoke up after the trio began to unpack their things and sort out their lives. Each had a bedside table and there was a table near the door that could be used between all three for homework. “I don’t really feel like crashing on them.”

            Hermione, who had never attended the welcoming parties before, was thankful. Starting the school year off tired and hungover did not sound like a good time. “We could stay in and-.”

            “- get right trashed before going into town to abuse our privileges?” Pansy cut Hermione off, clapping her hands together happily.

            Susan rolled her eyes in tandem with Hermione. “I was thinking along the lines of staying in, chilling out. We’ve got all year to go out, Pans. And Hermione, this doesn’t mean we’re going to bed early. I say we all…get to know each other.”

            Hermione cackled as Pansy mumbled low enough for their conversation to stay in their room. “I wouldn’t mind getting to know Longbottom, if you know what I mean.”

            “We know exactly what you mean!” Susan sighed loudly, throwing a stuffed elephant at Pansy with a reluctant agreement. Even Hermione had to smirk. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to get messed up in _that_ this year?”

            “Parkinson is right, Sue.” Hermione heard herself speak before she could register what she was saying. “This year is…different. We can all feel it. We’re here for an education, sure, but I’ve spent the last seven years terrified and confused and tired. I could go for some fun.”

            Pansy’s expression was priceless, her jaw dropped and eyes bulging. She muttered about hell freezing over and pigs flying, and holy Merlin, who was this wild woman that replaced _Hermione Granger_. And Hermione shrugged in response.

            “I’m…yeah okay, yeah I’m in. I wouldn’t mind having a good time. We’re lucky that we got stuck with Hogwarts’ Finest, and not a bunch of pricks.” Susan let the idea roll around in her head for a moment or two before jumping on board.

            “Trust me, they’re still pricks.” Pansy bit the bottom of her lip in anticipation. “But cute pricks, so it’s okay.”

 

* * *

 

            It was exhilarating to watch the next generation of witches and wizards walk between the Dining Hall’s tables, walk around the Elite’s special table that sat near the entrance where they were able to watch over the other Houses. Their eyes wide with anticipation and anxiety and overall excitement, Hermione could still feel the tingle of magic that she had felt when they made their march towards the Sorting Hat. It felt like a do-or-die act of bravery, stupidity and terror.

            Headmistress McGonagall could barely contain her grin while the new students gathered, and Hermione couldn’t blame her. Instead of enlisting the help of her co-workers, she wanted to do the ceremony herself – just as she had for forever.

            The names were rattled off, shoes scuffled and then roaring of approval shot through the entire Dining Hall. It didn’t matter where the student was placed as the whole school was beyond happy to have the fresh faces and open minds in their midst. The usual number of students averaged at 40, however, this year was much larger as many families had kept their children home because of the war. Hermione counted 73.

            She could feel Pansy reach under the table to give her hand a squeeze as the last child stepped forward to sit on the stool. Judas Zoltan. A Muggle-born, being placed in Slytherin. The green and silver clad students cheered the loudest. Pansy tried to hide her blush. It wasn’t unusual to have a Muggle-born in the Slytherin House, what was unusual was that not a single person shouted out derogatory terms when they sat down at the table.

            With a wave of her wand, McGonagall calmed the Dining Hall, her grin still very much persistent. She gave her opening speech, which was refreshing and hopeful. Their old professor was born for this position. She welcomed the new professors – Oliver Wood as the Flying coach, and Hagrid taking his place back as the Care of Magical Creatures professor.

            “I thought he was still keeper for Puddlemere?” Draco hummed just loud enough for his peers to hear. Susan was quick to shake her head. When Oliver came back to fight in the final battle he was hit pretty bad, and she wasn’t able to fully fix his hipbone. It still caused him pain during training so he made the decision to take on a slower role. “Wait, you were the one to heal him?”

            Susan turned a shade of pink, immediately grabbing a curl of her hair. “I’m not worth much when it comes to dueling. But I know a thing or two about medicinal magic.”

            No one had time to continue the conversation as they could feel the room swing towards them. McGonagall had just addressed them.

            “And welcome to the Elites. These nine students are returning this year to finish their schooling and to begin their apprenticeships. Originally their education had been put on hold during the war as they were fighting their own battles but as a faculty, we encouraged the class to come back. Nine decided to do just that and we are more than happy to have them.” McGonagall shined with pride. “Please note that they are here to help you as well. They will be hosting tutoring sessions in their fields during open office hours and are able to help you adjust to Hogwarts. Remember they have done this all before and are more than capable in supporting you through these difficult times. They are not assigned to Houses, as we are officially implementing an inter-house code of conduct.” A cheer raised through the crowds, so loud that it left a ring in Hermione’s ears to block out the rest of McGonagall’s speech.

            Terry kept jutting his head from Susan to the professor’s table, specifically at Wood. Hermione watched him watch them. It was odd, as if he was putting together facts that she couldn’t see. “Did you and Wood have a shag or something? He looks stuck and you look…like you aren’t looking. Susan?”

            Pansy swung her whole body to face the front of the hall, wanting to see the event for herself. Susan kept quiet, rolling her eyes, but now that Pansy and the rest of the Elites were studying the pair, she sighed. “No…I, um, we…I had a huge crush on him in second year – but who didn’t, right girls? He’s bloody fit, you’ve got to admit. We never got together, for obvious reasons, but a couple of summers ago I was at a party at the Abbott’s and he was there and he had a go with Hannah earlier that week. So at the party I was quite drunk and had a good yell at him, especially since he never called Hannah back.”

            “We’re having fun, remember.” Pansy murmured for just the two other girls to hear. “Maybe you should try to bone him, if you know what I mean, Bones? He looks like he would be a good shag.”

            Even Hermione had to nod in agreement, Oliver Wood was a Scottish knight in all sense of the word. “So many 'wood' jokes…I’m surprised you went with _boning_.”

            “Lots of time for all of the sexual puns, my dear Granger.” Pansy gave an overly sweet smile before sitting straight again, tossing her hair over her shoulder to make sure her comment got through to the additional Elites.

            “And with that,” Headmistress McGonagall was gripping the podium tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her glasses had slid down form all the grinning and laughing. “Tuck in.”

            As always, the plates full of food appeared.

            As always, the pitchers of drinks appeared.

            The only difference, that caught all of their eyes, was one extra pitcher.

            It was full of Elf-made wine.

            They were going to have lots of fun.

 

* * *

 

            Susan was sprawled out on the plush rug, taking up more than her share of the space as Pansy sat in a beanbag chair next to her and Hermione fiddled with the record player that they had talked to McGonagall about. Hermione had gone out of her way the past month to transfer muggle music onto records that could be played at Hogwarts. She had a feeling the students might need some joy in their world and what brings more joy than TLC, the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys. Pansy was watching Hermione intently, dumbstruck by muggle technology. She clearly didn’t want to come off dimwitted though and kept her mouth shut.

            At first the magic was a little too powerful, overriding the music system, but Hermione wordlessly worked her wand and it kicked in. She was extremely pleased, spinning to beam at her roommates. _Wannabe_ was a happy and upbeat tune about friendship and fun, and Susan had to put down her quill to sing the lyrics along with Hermione. Her letter would have to wait.

            Pansy stared openly at the ridiculousness unfolding in front of her. Hermione and Susan belted out the lyrics, with Susan climbing onto the table with an invisible microphone. Hermione spun in circles, her hair chasing her as she went. Together they even mimicked a dance every so often. It was like they were in a bubble of happiness and silliness, and it was almost too much for her to bare. While they got louder and louder, Pansy slid out of the room and snuck into the kitchen. The boys were busy in the common room, playing cards and chatting over some Ogden's Old Firewhiskey. Carefully she grabbed a bottle of juniper flavoured gin and some tonic water that was kept above the cupboards. By the time she returned, the music had quieted down and Susan was back to writing her letter with Hermione was sitting cross-legged on the bed to overlook her shoulder.

            “That performance deserves a round.” Pansy took a swig from the bottle before transfiguring three glasses to pour out some drinks. After she finished, she passed the gin to Hermione who followed suit and took a larger sip and finally Susan, who rolled up her letter to give to Halo to deliver. She looked nervously at the bottle but followed suit by taking a quick drink as well. “Hermione, dear, please tell me that _Long_ bottom does Neville justice.”

            Hermione blanked at the question but then immediately drank from her cup to clear her mind. “Are you…asking if I’ve gotten with Neville?” Pansy raised an eyebrow, curiously. “Kissed in third year. He was my first kiss actually, quite nice. That’s all I’ve experienced with him.” Pansy shifted forward, pulling Hermione off of the bed to join the pair on the rug. “Okay, fine, Melrlin. Ginny and him hooked up in fourth year – he took her to the Yule Ball. Said he was a complete gentleman and…was well endowed.”

            Susan pursed her lips, and then gritted her teeth. “Can confirm. We spent a lot of time in the greenhouse together.” There was no other word to describe the noise that escaped Pansy than a desperate squeal. “Just a jobby in sixth year. What’s the deal though, Pans, I’m guessing you’ve been with all three of those Slytherins. And who knows who else.”

            Pansy feigned hurt, sputtering that she was a pure and innocent and- “Fine, but it’s only two of the three. Blaise and I have hated each other since birth. Hogwarts made it worse. We became mates, but still basically slice each other’s throats whenever we get the chance.” This time Hermione and Susan shifted forward, begging for more information. “Draco is obvious. I was obsessed with him for half of my life because my dearest mother told me to be. We were matched and supposed to wed when we graduated Hogwarts. In fifth year, we realized that it wasn’t really a great fit. We didn’t tell our families, and still had planned on getting married outside of school to keep the bloodlines clean. But we both had a few good romps around Hogwarts, you’ve probably heard stories and rumours and let me be the first to tell you, they’re most likely true. Theo was still an ickle virgin, so I helped him out the summer before sixth.”

            “Nott hadn’t a run around before that? But he’s so…” Susan drifted off, her cheeks brightening. “He’s so good looking.”

            “That boy has big feelings though, real mushy stuff.” Pansy offered a look of disinterest mixed with confusion before sipping from her cup again. “Did you and Krum get handsy at all, Granger?”

            “More than just hands, Parkinson. Same goes for Ron and Cormac. Though I did have a right big crush of Fred Weasley as well, it was embarrassing as all hell.” Hermione rimmed her finger around her glass, sucking on the inside of her cheek. She let Pansy pour her another round while tipping the bottle of gin once again. A warm feeling had filled her stomach, and it wasn’t just the alcohol. Hermione had never really had girl friends before and this was all a new experience. “Feels good to have some chatter, right?”

            Susan accepted another glass as well, doing the same as Hermione. “The Hufflepuff girls were all real close, and I miss them. So I’m happy to have you lasses as mates.”

            “You can probably guess how Slytherin girls got along. You were either furiously loyal or readying yourself for battle. Daphne was a good chick, I quite like her. And Millie is badass, but we butted heads.” Pansy was appreciative to have new friends that she could gossip and share with. Draco wasn’t much for talking about the new line of witch-makeup or how cute Professor Lupin was.

            They spoke in giggles and drank in surplus in a circle, their knees touching and a barrier of pillows swallowing them into comfort. Their apprenticeships were discussed – Hermione focusing on Transfiguration, Pansy on Care of Magical Creatures and Susan on Health. The Patronus charm – Hermione’s otter, Pansy’s bear (which she explained, she only worked on getting because Harry bloody Potter had mastered it, which encouraged half of the Slytherins to learn on their own), and Susan’s noncorporal mist. The topic of families came up, which caused an obvious awkwardness. Hermione had found her family but wasn’t able to give them their memories back. She had sold her childhood home and planned to buy a flat in London once she graduated. Both of Pansy’s parents had been Death Eaters – her father dying and her mother on the run, which left the manor and the family business in her possession. And Susan gave a weak smile, explaining that there was no more magical blood in the Bones’ line. Her mother’s Squib sister and a younger muggle cousin who was cooler than anyone she had ever met.

            “Voldemort burned the house to the ground.” Susan sniffed once, as if pushing back her tears, and then drowned them in her drink. “I can…hear it still. I can imagine it. I should have been there too.”

            Hermione rolled up her sweater’s sleeve to reveal the _mudblood_ scar etched into her forearm. “It’s a reminder.”

            “Draco says his Dark Mark burns sometimes. Both physically and emotionally, I suspect.” Pansy traced her finger over the car, delicately learning it’s curves and twists. “I was there when it was given to him. I should have done something, I should have helped him. I couldn’t…I was frozen in fear.”

            Hermione cautiously watched Pansy’s fingers dance along the deep cut. Her touch was cool and her nails were well kept with a manicure. Susan starred openly on the other side. She unconsciously held her hand against her heart, slowly pulling her tank top lower to reveal a tattoo of a wishbone. It was cute and ironic and fit her well.

            The sullen atmosphere of the room had become still and threatened to spill over in sadness. Susan shook her head quickly, repeating that she had no regrets and that she would make them proud. Hermione’s eyes welled up, brimming on disaster. Pansy mumbled that she quite enjoyed crying sometimes as she felt refreshed afterwards – but if anyone found out that she said that, she would kill both of them. "This took quite a turn, didn't it?"

            A knock at the door caused all three girls to whip around with a crack of speed. It was Michael. His smile dropped suddenly after registering the fact that the girls were quite drunk and quite sad. He glanced down at the tray of cookies he was holding, then back up to his three dormmates. Michael gave out a strangled yelp for Terry to come and help him.

            Terry hadn’t been too far away, a butterbeer in his hand as he stumbled past a stunned Michael and then immediately tried to turn and get out of the room. “What, uh, is…you?”

            It was hardly a sentence. But it was enough to make Hermione slip a small grin. “Are those for us?”

            Terry nodded slowly and Michael was still stricken by fear. “We were going to say that you could have some if you joined us for a round.”

            Clearly the pair had changed their minds about the invitation, but Hermione stood up and pulled Susan with her. Pansy was quick to straighten out her skirt and fix her hair. “Cookies sound great. Think we’ve got any ice-cream?”

            “Think we’ve got any chips around?” Pansy asked, concerned about the snack situation. “I could definitely eat my weight in chips and vinegar right now.”

 


	3. Youth (a truth so loud you can't ignore)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello yes let us do this get ready for some awfulness

            Hermione never thought she would see Pansy Parkinson _snort_ with laughter.

            Hermione never thought she would see Susan Bones _roll_ with laughter.

            Hermione never thought she would see Terry Boot _cry_ with laughter. Hermione never thought she would see Neville Longbottom _grasp_ his stomach in pain with laughter. Hermione never thought she would see Theo Nott turn _red_ with laughter. Hermione never thought she would see Blaise Zabini _burst_ with laughter. Hermione never thought she would see Michael Corner stand up in shock, having to leave the common room because he didn’t know if he could _laugh_ at what just happened.

            “Listen, _listen_! All I’m saying is that he’s fit. You all know it! Stop…stop laughing! Holy Merlin, control yourself Theo. And honestly, Pansy, have some self respect. Terry, mate, you’re chocking, just stop.” Draco fumbled with his words, leaning forwards with his teeth seething as he tried to get a hold of the situation. “Granger. Help me.”

            Hermione never thought she would rub Draco Malfoy’s back in sympathy. “Listen, Malfoy. I don’t think there’s coming back from saying that out of all Gryffindors in our year, you would shag Harry. You’ve dug yourself quite the hole.” Hermione gripped his shoulder tightly, giving him a little shake. “Also, I’m kind of pissed that you didn’t say me.”

            “Or me, like come on, I’m a straight up catch.” Neville’s voice was raspy, his throat dry from the uncontrollable laughter that had resounded from the depth of his chest.

            Draco rolled his eyes so aggressively that Hermione was half worried they would roll right out of his head. He was smiling though, and whether he was actually happy with what was going on or it was the excessive amount of alcohol in his blood, the room matched his smile. Susan had brought out the record player when the girls moved into the common room and the girls had gone from being upset to downright cheerful as their male counterparts did their best to make them laugh. It worked, and Draco was happy to help nonetheless.

            “I didn’t know those present were considered options.” He somehow managed to keep his voice smooth, even hiccups threatening to rise which were both alcohol and nerves induced. “I would definitely reconsider the question if I had known.”

            The small fire flickered in front of their semi-circle. Susan was laying on her stomach on the carpet with Theo rest his head on her back. Terry sat on one of the armchairs with Pansy lounging on his lap. Michael had come back after clearing his head, taking his spot on one side of Hermione on the sofa, with Draco on her other side. Blaise took up much more space than he deserved as he covered the rest of the sofa and Neville seemed to sink into another armchair. _Blind Melon_ played quietly and the harder liquor had been switched to a bottle of wine that they each took drinks of. Theo had surprised everyone when he pulled out a case of Legless Elixir that the twins had created. Hermione could still remember being present while they “tested” the potion by getting piss-drunk during the winter break.

            Blaise produced a clock to check the time and nearly giggled when he realized it was a bit later than he would have liked to go to bed on the first night of school. Everyone stared at where the clock had shimmered momentarily and he heaved his chest. “Well, now that you do know Draco, what’s your answer?”

            “Hm?” Draco hummed, his cheeks bright pink. “Probably still Potter.”

            Hermione barks out laughing, shoving Draco to the side but was pulled towards him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She tried to fight the hold, but struggled and squealed, which cause Pansy to toss a pillow at Draco to release her new friend. Ultimately, this created a small scuffle as pillows were thrown about.

            “Still Potter, my arse, Malfoy.” Hermione gave him a glare through shielding eyelashes, shaking her head with a light snicker. She had gotten away from his grasps and was sitting on Susan’s lap as she was cross legged on the floor.

            Susan’s eyes were closed and was rested backwards on her elbows, but was still very much into the argument at hand. Theo had been moved during the small battle and stood against the fireplace. He watched as Hermione and Malfoy bickered, ignoring Susan who was half asleep. Apparently seeing the real time had caused her brain to start shutting down. It was time for the redhead to go to bed. “Here, everyone take a vial. I’m heading to bed because some of us need our beauty rest.”

            Susan’s eyes chipped open at his suggestion, realizing that she had fallen asleep in her position. Neville watched in amusement as Susan moaned until Hermione understood what she was trying to communicate – get the heck off me. Hermione rolled carefully from her tired roommate and accepted a vial from Theo, letting Neville scoop up the tall girl to carry her to bed. Pansy puckered her lips, daring a pout to appear, before Terry sighed and let her climb on his back to help her. Hermione finally rose to turn off the record player and rub her dipping eyelids. She gave a half-hearted wave to the boys that remained, fiddling with the vial in her hand. “See you all for breakfast tomorrow.”

            The door to the girls’ bedroom was closed but she could hear Pansy shrieking with laughter. Before going in herself, Hermione paused to look out the window between their room and the room beside. The stars shined brightly, glimmering off of the lake and illuminated the forest. A slow breath escaped her lips as a thought went out to all the students that didn’t make it to graduation. Lavender. Colin. She thought of those who gave their lives for others to live. Remus. Tonks. Finally the small feeling of happy bubbles churned in her lungs as she remembered those that did live. Fred. Oliver.

            “You’re not gonna tell Potter what I said, right Granger?” She didn’t bother turning around to face Draco, concentrating on the stars still. She could feel his weight shift awkwardly, as if he was truly worried. “I know I don’t stand much against Pansy or Blaise so Potter will eventually find out, but I just don’t want you to be the one…who tells him.”

            “Did you know, Malfoy, that I had a tiny crush on you from first year all the way up to third year. Then I punched you in the face and I felt much better.” She relaxed her back, letting her shoulders drop, and turned to gave him a shy smile. Of all things she was going to confuse that night, this would be the weirdest. Draco gaped – there was no better word to describe it. “So I don’t really give a damn if you would shag Harry over me. It’s fine, it’s done. Besides, tonight was all in good fun. We all needed some fun.”

            Hermione lightly pushed passed Draco to head into her room, hand on the doorknob. Inside she could now hear Pansy and Terry singing a lullaby, completely offkey, to Susan. The curtains on the windows were sliding closed and Neville was dimming the enchanted candles.

            “Shag Harry _and_ you, Granger. Not _over_ you. Well, unless you two are into that kind of thing. I’m really quite adventurous when it comes to my sexual exploits.” Draco caught his cool, revived his smirk. Her hand snapped off of the doorknob as if it burned hot, her eyes darting to meet his with curiosity. “Will you do me a favour and pass this on to Harry?”

            “You just told me not to tell him about -.”

            Hermione was cut off by Draco.

            He reached down to tilt her chin up, bringing his lips down to meet hers.     

            Chaste. Careful. Practically loving.

            Three words that Hermione would never use when it came to Draco, and yet here she was.

            “I think he would love to receive that from you directly.” Hermione wanted to sound strong and confident and nonchalant. Three more words that would never be the same for Hermione. “But I wouldn’t be against receiving some meant for me next time.”

            And with that she reached moved in a swift motion away.

 

* * *

 

            It wasn’t really a scream.

            It was much worse.

            Hermione had exhaled and jolted awake into a sitting position.

            It was somewhat of a possession, Susan noted.

            Ragged breaths were all that could be heard in their room.

            “You alright?”

            Susan cast a _lumos_ on her wand, setting it between herself and Hermione.

            Hermione worked to catch her breath, nodding a little to reassure Susan.

            “I remembered.”

            Susan swung her legs out of her bed to step softly on the floor, her toes cold on the bare stone. She handed Hermione the vial that had been left on the bedside table, the Legless Elixir that she was supposed to take in the morning. Hermione accepted the potion and chased it with the glass of water.

            “Did you sleep at all?”

            Hermione gulped once more to calm herself. Susan was mute. She hadn’t.

            On Hermione’s other side was Pansy, who was twisting under her covers. Hair was stuck to her neck with a cold sweat. Susan gave Hermione a kiss on the forehead and stepped silently towards Pansy to wake her up with care. With Susan’s hands breezing over Pansy’s cheeks, she awoke in a paralysis. She also offered the untouched potion to Pansy who didn’t think twice about drinking it.

            “I got used to sleeping next to Harry.”

            Pansy pushed herself to sit up, holding onto Susan’s hand protectively and gratefully.

            “I’ve had to drink a Dreamless Draught for the past two years.”

            Hermione handed over a towel which she dampened, Susan using the coolness on Pansy.

            “I just don’t.”

            That was enough for the trio to crawl into Hermione’s bed together. It gave Hermione someone to be next to. Susan supplied Pansy with a half dosage of the draught she depended on. And for once Susan felt safe.

 

* * *

 

            The girls slept in past their arranged time to meet the boys for breakfast.

            Neville had peeked into the bedroom to see that the centre bed held sleeping angels.

            They decided to bring back a tray and eat in their own kitchen.

            Susan was happy to sniff freshly brewing coffee.

            But Pansy shrieked and dashed for the bathroom.

            Hermione stayed in bed for an extra moment.

            The sun had rose, as it did everyday, and brought light through the drawn curtains.

            When entering the kitchen, the light followed.

            Susan was holding onto a mug of coffee while reading over a newspaper. Neville was beside her at the table, only with tea in his hands and a textbook under his nose. Terry and Draco were apparently taking the first rounds of showers, just as Pansy was. Blaise leaned against the counter and looked over the schedule while biting into a piece of toast. Michael was beside him, his mouth full of berry porridge, and kept attempting to keep conversation with Blaise about their classes. Theo looked well rested as he used one hand to use a quill and the other to shovel scrambled eggs on his fork. Hermione’s smile was genuine as she brushed past her friends to the fridge. She pulled out a glass for some orange juice and prepped a fruit parfait for herself.

            “Thirty minutes until Charms, everyone.” Terry came into the kitchen, still wet and bare chested while making himself a mug of strong tea and poured himself some sugary cereal. He paused and then sighed angrily. Michael had started chuckling under his breath. “Okay fine, everyone but Michael. You’re not special, mate. We all get to miss our apprenticeship classes to work. We’ll see you in DADA right after.”

            Neville eyed down Michael as he made his way back to their room for his turn in the shower.

            “You can go next, Mi.” Susan peeked over the edge of the newspaper, with a toothy grin. “You need more time than I do.”

            “I do believe that was an insult, Miss Granger.” Draco had perfect timing as he entered the kitchen. He showed no sign of being uncomfortable with the kiss from the night before, and in fact seemed right at home as he took a mug of coffee and bite into an apple next to her. “Any witty remarks in dispute?”

            “Brain doesn’t turn on until I’ve had breakfast.” Hermione mumbled, causing Susan’s toothy grin to grow. “Put a pin in this conversation for later.”

 

* * *

 

            Charms, followed by DADA led to their lunch and spare afterwards. Their apprenticeship meetings were next and caused a nervousness amongst the Elites. To be paired with their mentors and have to master the subject while also going to regular classes seemed like an intense feat. McGonagall didn’t seem worried however, and offered her assistance whenever they felt they needed a nudge.

            Pansy could barely contain her excitement as she wandered towards Hagrid’s hut.

            He greeted her happily and they broke into how move in went.

            There was no one better to begin her Masters in Care of Magical Creatures.

            “No I’ve got no masters meself, but I got contacts for you. I’ll be grading your thesis and research, but you’ll be partnered with someone with a bit mo’ experience. McGonagall, what a good lady, said that the thesis will have to be a total of 50 feet and-.”

            Pansy could feel her heart drop out of her ass.

            “I think the fuck not.”

            Never in all her life had she ever written something so long.

            “The assignment is considerably shorter than we expected, basing it off of muggle learnings. Those non-magic folk like to really smack their students around when it comes to learning and such. A regular thesis would  be over 100 feet for them, in addition to classes. Trust me, Miss Parkinson, we have no doubt that you and the rest of your class will do wonderfully. You came back to be challenged, after all.” Hagrid had invited her into his hut, and poured her a mug of tea while explaining her settings. “Now, you were always very bright when it came to this class and that’s why I decided to take you on. What creature were you thinking of focusing on, dear? Unicorn? Merperson? Fairy?”

            “I’d quite like to study Boggarts, sir. But I understand those are non-beings and so I think it would be best to study a physical creature. Such as a dragon.” Pansy could hear her request coming out of her mouth and in no way rushed to stop it. It’s what she wanted. And Pansy always got what she wanted. Hagrid’s face immitted pure joy, sputtering slightly at the opportunity. “That’s how I knew it would be a good fit for me to come back…there’s no one better to learn about dragons from. Rumour has it you _hatched_ one in our first year.”

            Hagrid stood up suddenly and Pansy was immediately worried that she had crossed a line. She couldn’t afford to lose Hagrid as a mentor. Not only was he incredibly talented when it came to creatures, but he also happened to piss off her entire family. But no, he didn’t leave, he simply held up a finger to pause her thoughts. He excused himself to head towards a storage shed that was near his pumpkin patch. Pansy watched him thumper through the yard, and then return with his hands enclosed over something.

            “Figured this is a good way to start your research.” Hagrid carefully opened his palms to reveal a Hungarian Horntail model. It shot some fire out in protest, upset that Hagrid had moved it from wherever it had been originally. “Can’t exactly throw you into a real dragon pit, now can I? But I can also set you up with Charlie Weasley. He’s a good chap and will take you to the reserve for your summer term if you want. That way you can get the hands-on experience.”

            Pansy held out her hand tentatively, letting the tiny dragon consider it’s options before slowly scurrying across Hagrid to Pansy. She could hardly describe the feeling of having the creature explore her hand and then crawl up her forearm, run across her shoulders and finally drop contently into one of her robe’s sleeves.

            “She’s no Opaleye or a Welsh Green, but she’s-.”

            “Bloody perfect. Horntails are very understudied and misunderstood and…thank you Hagrid.” Pansy could feel the small dragon attach itself to the robe’s material, clearly having been woken up from a nap. “What…um, how do I?”

            “I want you to take the first month to get to know her. Dragons can’t be tamed and definitely can’t be domesticated, and it’s said that Horntails are the most vicious. So take notes, do some experimenting. I’ll give you some titles to do for readings. Careful though, Pansy. This one is may only be one twentieth of the real size, but its body is equal. Still sharp and fast and agile. And still breaths fire in proportion – the fire still hits at about 5 inches away. And those teeth are quite nasty.” Hagrid went about his little kitchen to collect some necessary supplies Pansy would need – including a bucket full of raw meat. “Cattle, sheep and goat.” The smell was overwhelming to the point that Pansy gagged and pulled out her wand to put a freezing spell on her dragon’s meal. “I want you to start from the beginning. Start by learning about the history of dragons. Feel good?”

            Pansy let out a squeal as the dragon gave her a bite when it caught smell of the raw meat. She ripped it out of her sleeve and gave it the deadliest stare she could, which prompted it to breath a gust of smoke into her eyes. Pansy shook out her shoulders and slid the dragon into the hood of her robe. Taking the bucket of meat with a smile, she gave a big nod.

            It reassured her, once more, that this year would be very different.

 

* * *

 

            Susan spent her hour treading behind Madame Pomfrey, staying at a distance where she was out of the way of the busy nurse who was tending to the students that seemed to have a bad first day, but also close enough that she could hear her instructions for the year.

            “It’s busy here, constantly. The Headmistress says you have some experience though?” Susan knew that it wasn’t an actual question. “So I’ll have you intern three times a week with a foot journal assignments for each shift. On top of that, each month you’ll be doing research essays on different healing situations you may come across. Those will be three feet each. And for your thesis -.” Pomfrey stopped so suddenly that Susan bumped into the older witch with a squeak. Pomfrey looked up to Susan, a light surrounding someone Susan would call a true hero. “You’ll find an answer.”

            “Ma’am?” Susan’s voice was barely above a whisper, not wanting to come across stupid. Or to distract Pomfrey from slavering healing-cream on a first year that managed to burn off his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

            “Healing isn’t a step by step process. Medicinal magic is constantly evolving and involves instinct, Miss Bones. I’m going to give you an unsolvable case study. And I simply want you to find an solve it.” Pomfrey continued about the room, leaving the stunned Elite behind in her dust. Susan shook, confused. Was Pomfrey setting her up for a failure? “No dear, there’s always an answer.”


	4. Feel Again (heart still beating but it's not working)

          “Language.” Hermione smacked a stack of books down next to the empty seat across from Neville, who dropped his spoon in the bowl of soup he had just served himself. He groaned, which caused Pansy to giggle and Michael to smile. “That’s my thesis.”

            Neville stared into the bowl of soup, as if it would propel the spoon upwards if he gave enough energy. He didn’t seem nearly as interested in Hermione’s topic of study as she thought he would, but then again she did just ruin his meal. Terry, however, bit for her.

            “Translation. We have potions that will change our language, both hearing and speaking, but it takes three months to brew and can be really dangerous for the drinker if not done properly. So, why not create a spell for you to understand the language. Briefly, of course, because nothing can stay transfigured forever. I just thought…” When Hermione realized the Elite’s table had filled and was intently listening to her passion, she blushed. “During family vacations and the Tri-Wizard tournament, I always thought about how much easier communication would be. And communication is key, right?”

            “Brilliant, as always, Hermione.” Theo nodded for the rest of the group, and Michael gave her a pat on the back. “It’ll make international-relations so much easier. Truly brilliant.”

            As the Great Hall bustled with more and more students coming for dinner, the group leaned forward in privacy. Pansy talked about her new little friend and Susan complained about her unsolvable case. Babbling had give Theo untranslated runes for him to work on each month – and was then instructed to create his own indication. Blaise was also working with McGonagall, but wanted to focus on creating longer-lasting spells. Terry spent his hour looking out the telescope with Sinistra while discussing black holes. Neville and Sprout had lost track of time, as they often did, prepping for her week’s classes. Michael and Flitwick decided to work on creating a charm that would turn unsafe water so that it was drinkable – he wanted to help out the poorer communities.

            Draco had come up behind Susan halfway through the conversation, tapping her lightly on the shoulder to get her to follow him. The pair left just as Hermione and Michael stood up to go visit Ginny and Terry went to go see Luna.

            “How’s Slughorn?” Susan asked gently as he guided her out of the Great Hall, near a set of windows. She was fond of the batty old man, and often had very odd chats with him. He had accidently called her Lily once, but she breezed over the stumble with no problem.

            “Still a crazy fool,” Draco smirked, leaning against one of the windows while Susan hopped up onto the ledge. “We had a great discussion though, and I know what I want my apprenticeship to be focused on.” Susan gave a quick handclap in excitement, which slowed to a single beat when Draco’s expression dropped from smirk to grimace. “At the feast yesterday, McGonagall introduced the counsellor, right? The team is supposed to help us all deal with…our feelings. Muggles have a term for what we’re going through – PTSD.”

            “Did you just say the word ‘muggle’ and not throw up?” Susan attempted to joke, but the seriousness of the conversation was overwhelming. “I’ve heard of it, yeah. My aunt if a squib and my cousin is a muggle. It’s common after wars and other traumatic events.”

            “Muggles also have medicines for it, but they don’t work very well with our magic.” Draco continued, threading his fingers through his hair calmly. “I just want to feel okay again.”

            The corners of Susan’s lips curved upwards slightly, knowing the exact feeling. She wanted to sleep and eat properly, she wanted to not have intrusive thoughts or be scared of every dark hall. Her emptiness filled her core. “What do you need me for, Draco?”

            “I’m going to create a new potion, to help combat it. You…are the only Elite who has a non-corporal Patronus. They act as a defense against our subconscious, so they’re harder to work with. Susan, I need you for your brain. I want to make you better.” Susan didn’t have to ask for clarification, she knew exactly what it would entail to agree to being his test rat. Magic and potions that effected the brain were highly unpredictable and perilous. “It’s a lot, I know, and you can say no, I can change my topic, because your safety and comfort is super important to me, but seriously don’t tell anyone I just said that, the mickey would be-.”

            Susan smacked her hand against Draco’s mouth, muffling his rambling. “I don’t know why, but I trust you. This will work. We just can’t tell anyone else yet, because they’re going to think we’re crazy. All of your testing and work will be done either under the guidance of Slughorn, McGonagall or Pomfrey, get it?”

            “Obviously.” Draco sassed, stepping out of Susan’s reach to wipe away her hand in a disgusted manner. “Slughorn may be a crazy fool, but I’m certainly not.”

            “Right. You’re just crazy.” Susan deadpanned before slipping off the ledge to lead him back into the Great Hall.

 

* * *

 

            The rest of the week went by far too quickly.

            Each Elite were throwing themselves headfirst into their studies and apprenticeships. Research, readings, meetings, classes and they all had to arrange for their weekly office hours where they were available for younger students to come talk to them. Going to bed early, only really chatting during meals. Breakfast was always a group effort in the house of taking from the kitchens, lunch was spent in the Dining Hall and dinner was up in the air half the time as to someone cooking for themselves. Interactions outside of the house were minimal, until Oliver Wood decided to change that.

            Friday, at lunch, the nine students were eating quietly as they were tired and tuned in.

            “Hey mate,” Oliver clamped his hand down on Draco’s shoulder, a bit harder than he probably intended. They were never on the best terms thanks to Quidditch. He gathered everyone’s attention and Susan didn’t dare make eye contact. Her crush, no matter how many times she denied it, was strong as ever. “You all booking the Quidditch pitch anytime soon? The season is starting soon.”

            Hermione’s nose wrinkled in response, motioning to the rest of the table as if to say _do you not know who you’re talking to_? The only people that had actually played the game were Draco, Blaise and Terry. Hermione may not like the sport, but she’s damn sure it takes more than three people to make up a team.

            “Oh come on!” Oliver gushed, his robes fluttering around as he shifted in excitement. “You don’t have to compete, just have fun.” The phrase almost cut him to the bone. Everyone was well aware that the only way for Oliver to have fun was to win. “I can teach you all. I’m going out of my wits teaching these first years how to mount their brooms. And the fitness classes are good, but I want to be up there again.”

            Pansy was quick to send him a flirty glance, but was pushed aside by Neville who answered for everyone else. “We’ll think about it, Wood. We’re all kind of busy with school and we’re working bloody hard.”

            “Yeah? What’s up with that, anyways?” Oliver squished in between Draco and Michael and grabbed an empty plate to fill up his own lunch. “I thought McGonagall said you were all going to have fun this year? Be kids and whatever?”

            “We’re not _children_ , Oliver.” Hermione hummed, irritated. “Besides, we want to do well.”

            Oliver looked over his cup of pumpkin juice to stare at the bushy haired, bossy girl. “Not very good at multitasking, are we Granger?” Theo spat out his drink of water on Susan who cringed as Blaise dried her off with a spell. Hermione grew red. “Thought you would be able to balance it all. Maybe you aren’t as bright as I thought you were…shame.”

            Hermione seethed. Susan saw her roommate’s anger boil at the taunting and Pansy watched as if it were Christmas.

            “Leaky. I mean, ugh.” Susan caught her tongue before continuing in awkwardness. “We should all go to London tomorrow night. Seamus Finnegan bought the Leaky Cauldron from Tom and the opening night is coming up. It should be a blast. Hannah said that he’s completely redone it…made it a club for young people on weekends, and a regular bar and pub during the week. She’s working for him. I can…get us invites.”

            Neville and Hermione appeared to be the most surprised by the news, not realizing that their past dormmate had made that business venture. Oliver, on the hand, appeared to be the most intrigued. It might have been the mention of Hannah, or the idea of going out, or maybe even the fact that this was the first time Susan had talked to him in years.

            “Shall I come to your house on Saturday evening then? We can Floo into the Weasley twin’s flat next to their shop. It’s right down the road. And I’ve heard that it’ll be Fred’s first night of freedom. The lad got out the hospital this morning.” Oliver chirped up as he made plans with the Elites. “Don’t worry, I’ll clear it all with McGonagall. It’s going to be a riot.”

            It was going to be something, that’s for sure.

 

* * *

 

            “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse. Whatcha cookin’ Sue?” Draco asked as he entered the kitchen. "Smells bloody delicious."

            “Bet you can’t eat two whole pizzas.” He found Susan standing at the island with eight homemade pizzas. She had gone out of her way to cook everyone dinner, with music playing in the background and the sun beginning to set. At the table was Neville who was concentrating on a crossword puzzle and Pansy who was attempting to feed her little dragon. “I dare you to eat two whole pizzas, Draco.”

            Draco paled at the suggestion and could hear a chuckle of laughter come from the lobby area of the bedrooms. It was Blaise. Blaise knew that no Slytherin could turn down a bet. And definitely not a dare. Theo and Michael were running their office hours and Hermione was in the library.

            “Is this because of what I asked you to…” Susan waved off his wild ideas, putting her hands on her hips. She smiled, using her wand to slice the pizzas into even pieces.

            “Neville, honey, can you get the Knotgrass Mead out for dinner? Everyone should be home soon, I sent Terry to collect them all.” Susan sighed at Draco’s lack of bravery, making sure to stare at him for a dramatic edge as she cut the pizzas. “If you eat two whole pizza for dinner, I’ll buy all your drinks tomorrow night when we go out.”

            Draco gained his colour again and saddled himself up at the table to start eating. “And if I don’t?” He would though, he knew it.

            “You’re experimenting on me…I need to experiment on you.” Susan dropped her gaze to his forearm, the Dark Mark peeking out from under his rolled up sleeves. “Pomfrey gave me my case today. We talked about asking Hermione, but even though we can’t heal her scar yet, there’s a lot more Marks out there. It’s for the betterment of the public, figured you would understand that.”

            Pansy and Neville passed confused look between each other but deciding to pop up the first bottle of mead and pour it out evenly for dinner instead of questioning what the heck they were up to.

            “Something different. Because I’ll do that for you even if I win.” Draco used his hand to brush away her preposterous challenge. He picked up the first slice from his pizza and began to chew before coming up with another idea. Mouth full of food, he spoke quite rudely. “If I don’t finish these pizzas, which I will, I’ll let you use my broom whenever you want.”

            Susan reached over the table to shake on the agreement and wish him luck.

            Blaise entered the kitchen, smiling bigger than ever as he spotted a particular pizza.

            “ _Acciughe_! How did you know, _mia bella_?” Blaise praised the anchovies on his pizza, wrapping his arm around Susan’s shoulders to give her a quick peck on the cheek before sitting down next to Draco to eat.

            Susan accepted a cup of mead from Pansy, who rolled her eyes. “Your family is originally from Rome…so I figured I’d make authentic _pizza napoletana_.” She stumbled over the word a bit, and cringed as she heard her own pronunciation. She took a long drink from her cup and shrugged her shoulders. She sat next to Pansy and saved a spot for Hermione so that the girls could share the pizza in front of them. Soon everyone made it to the table and dinner officially began.

            “It smells awful, that’s all I’m saying.” Theo had to switch seats about half way through the meal to get away from Blaise’s pizza. The girls had finished their first pizza and began to take slices from the surrounding plates. By the end, everyone was contentedly full.

            Except for Draco.

            He was sweating and had undone his belt to try to get more comfortable.

            But he looked quite ready to burst.

            Inhaling deeply, the friends watched as Draco ate the final slice in anticipation.

            Draco Malfoy had eaten two entire pizzas, and drank three shares of mead, in under an hour.

            “Better get your galleons ready for tomorrow night, Sue, cause my tab is going to be outrageously huge if I have to deal with god damn Oliver Woods all night.” Draco had a tiny smile, and his eyes were closed, but he could feel the congratulations in the air. Slytherins always won dares and never lost bets. “Now should we-.”

            “Did I not…tell you guys? Oh my goodness. No, no. Not only did we get invites for the opening, but Seamus is covering us since we’re the sorry losers that came back to Hogwarts for another year.” Draco managed to open his eyes wide enough to see Susan playfully petting Pansy’s dragon. “And Draco, if you knew anything about me, you would know I don’t like flying so your broom is worthless to me.”

            It was as if the crowd lost their minds in laughter.

            Draco had to lay down on the ground, but managed to shake his head in disbelief.

            “Maybe you should have been in Slytherin, Bones. That was quite cunning. You’re a real punk.”

            Susan winked in response.

 

* * *

 

           “I’m bored.”

            It wasn’t an uncommon phrase in the house.

            It was just shocking to hear it come from Hermione while she was reading a book.

            The fire crackled in the common room as everyone tried to process what was going on.

            “Let’s do something fun.” Hermione continued, not faltered by the awkwardness. Dinner had ended a while ago and the friends were beginning to unwind for the night. But Hermione had energy to burn - it was the first Friday of the year! They should be out and having fun and being the  _kids_ that they wanted to be.

            “Could go for a swim,” Blaise suggested. Neville had looked up from the chess board where he and Blaise were playing a round of Wizards Chess. He looked concerned. “It’s the warmest it will be all year. Might as well go for a dip while we can. I know I miss it.”

            Hermione pushed herself up to give Blaise a grin. She had forgotten that the Slytherin house was located under the Great Lake. The four serpents probably missed the sounds and sights of their beloved lake and would enjoy a good shot of danger.

            “Neville can’t swim.” Susan pipped up from where she was watching Neville and Blaise play their game. Neville gasped at her calling him out, missing as he tried to smack her thigh. “No, geez. Get over it. I want you to have fun too, Nev. No reason everyone shouldn’t know. Nothing to be ashamed of.”

            “Nan…didn’t like the water. Never taught me.” Neville’s plush was redder than a Weasley’s hair, and he dangled his head in embarrassment. “Never learned.”

            “No time like the present,” Pansy gushed, winking at Neville. She finished the rest of her mead and sat up. “Got a swimsuit?” The corners of Neville’s eyes crinkled. “Ah, well, I guess you’ll be swimming nude. Such a…shame.” Pansy sighed happily, mimicking Oliver's phrase from earlier in the day, before standing up to get changed into her own swimwear. Hermione trotted behind her, a small giggle escaping her lips before she could control them. “See you boys in ten minutes. Don’t forget the water wings, Nev.”

            Susan smirked, using her wand to transfigure two sofa pillows into bright yellow water wings in the shape of ducks. Draco yelled happily, then proceeded to laugh with the other boys. “Safety first, am I right?”

            Ten minutes on the dot, the group quietly snuck through the castle to the south entrance.

            There was a light breeze tossing the lake around, enough to cause waves and splashing, but not enough that any of them were worried. The sun had set which made the Black Lake even blacker. The stars reflected though and Terry was able to create a beautiful, soft glowing ball of light to hang over them as they hung out. It took both Hermione and Pansy’s pulling to finally get Neville into the water while Susan tossed a frisbee around with Michael. Blaise, Theo and Draco tried to push each other under water as a game. And Terry swam nearby, keeping his eyes and ears open.

            Hermione sat on the shore to watch Pansy help Neville adjust to the waters after having grown tired. Pansy was truly special, more so than Hermione could ever imagine. There she was – a new woman. In a black and white polka-dot ruffled bandeau bikini, she was a sight to see. Shapely and the epitome of a mature body. Pansy had even let Hermione borrow a bathing suit since she hadn’t even thought of packing one. Red and white strips, the vintage bikini was cute and modest and Hermione was thankful that Pansy knew where her comfort levels were.

            A few feet away from the swimming lessons stood Susan, who was knee deep in the water and took a terrific dive to try to catch the frisbee. Draco, Terry and Theo had joined their game, with each trying to outdo the next with their best tricks. Draco and Theo had never played before but were doing their best to keep up with the muggle-influenced game. Susan wore a simple black suit which clung to her long and lean body beautifully. Her hair had been pulled back into a loose braid, soon escaping as she took on more and more water. Who knew Susan was anything but simple.

            The remaining Elites, the male Elites that is, were worthy of Hermione’s praise as well, but she was consumed by how lucky she was to have such gorgeous friends. Pansy and Susan were breath taking, as all women were, while men often barely scratched the attractive surface. Sure, the six Elites were good looking, but Hermione was happy to give her adoration to her girls for the night.

            Blaise made his way out of the water to join Hermione on the shore. He slumped down, shaking his wet body. Some of the water gripped onto Hermione’s now drying suit so she gave him a disappointed look. He chuckled and handed her a dry towel.

            “What do you think?” Blaise asked subtly, his own eyes watching their dormmates with a clear happiness. Hermione could feel his joy, she could feel his hope. He didn’t give reference, but Hermione knew what he was wondering about.

            “It’s nice.”

            “I’m surprised we’re all still alive. Definitely thought Draco was going to snap at Michael for leaving the candles lit in the lobby. Or maybe Neville was going to like…tickle Susan to death? That girl knows way too much about him and doesn’t care who she tells. And I had a feeling you were going to spontaneously combust as a suicide mission.” Blaise drifted off, tilting his head to stick his tongue out at Hermione. “Glad you didn’t though. That would have been a big mess for the House Elves.”

            Tossing her head back in laughter, Hermione emitted enough joy and hope that Blaise could feel it. “I thought you were trying to kill me for a while, you’re just so quiet. I can never tell what you’re thinking or where you’re going.”

            “You’ve foiled all of my plans without even knowing so far, unfortunately. It’ll happen though, don’t you worry a pretty little hair of yours.” Blaise gave Hermione’s head a pat, teasing her. “Should we call in the kids soon? It’s getting late and we don’t want to be on McGonagall’s bad side in the first week.”

            “Oh Merlin, my type of man. Attempting to murder me, but also very responsible.” Hermione pretended to swoon, but agreed. “I’m thinking hot chocolate and then call it a night? I know our room is going to try to sleep in.”


	5. Steal Your Heart (silver turns to gold)

            The girls hadn’t slept in seperate beds since the first night.

            It was just easier than trying to fight their fears.

            “Would it be weird if I hit on Neville tomorrow night?”

            Hermione and Susan both stared blankly at Pansy.

            “You mean…you haven’t been hitting on Neville all week?”

            Susan responded first, slowly. As if her brain was moving too fast for her liking.

            “Pans, you could walk up to Neville and say that you want him to dress up like a dragon during sex, and he would be perfectly okay with that. The boy is infatuated by you.” As Hermione pulled her finger back from the tiny dragon’s reach before it could latch onto her. Pansy scooped up the little Horntail, named affectionately Kira. It was short for _Királynő_. Kira had a separate nesting area in a desk drawer.

            Pansy slipped Kira away, laughing along with Susan at Hermione’s crassness. “I just…want to. He’s nice and sexy and funny and I think I deserve that. But I don’t want to come off as…I don’t know? A bit of a slut. You Gryffindors are so chivalrous, I don't want to come off weird.”

            Susan gasped at the accusation, her eyebrows as high as her hairline. “Do not say such atrocious things! Pansy! Being sexually confident is nothing to think twice about. I wish I was as confident as you are. How do you do it?”

            “You just…do it?” Pansy answered Susan’s question with another question as she slid into bed next to Hermione. Hermione levitated their empty hot chocolate mugs to a side table and dimmed the candles. “It’s a target, I suppose. A goal. You Hufflepuffs are hard working, determined folk. Just do it. And my Gryffindor girl, let’s see your bravery tomorrow night, hey? Get yourself a lad as well. Make a pact to say that all three of us get some action? Both Oliver and Fred are going to be there, if you don’t want to cross that roommate line yet. I’m sure tons of eligible wizards will be showing up.”

            Hermione let her head fall back onto her pillow with a thump, groaning at the unchartered territory ahead of them. She reluctantly agreed though. She wanted to have some more fun. Susan had to think, her tongue darting over her lips as she considered the idea. She passed Pansy her medicine for the night and finally nodded once.

 

* * *

 

           There was no movement from the girls’ room until almost noon.

            And even then, it was only enough time for the girls to make pancakes and then get back in bed so that they could listen to music and gossip. When they finally did make their appearance in the common room, the girls were fully dressed and ready to start their day. Only Neville was present, giving a good morning greeting to his dormmates. He was doing some marking for Sprout and was looking out the window to where the rest of the Elites played on the Quidditch pitch.

            Hermione could tell it was their boys immediately. Draco and Blaise were easy to spot as they chased after Oliver who was playing keep away with Terry. Some feet lower was Theo and Michael who were testing their limits as they plunged towards the ground before, at last second, pulling up. They kept trying to outdo the other.

            “You going to the field?” Neville asked.

            “Thought we would go take a walk through Hogsmeade, care to join us?” Hermione was checking her purse for everything she would need for the afternoon, placing a hand on Neville’s shoulder to invite him properly. He was quick to get ready, pleased that he wasn’t by himself any longer.

            The four friends walked through Hogwarts and then down the path that led to the little village. Susan and Pansy stopped to pet every Threstal they saw while Hermione and Neville strolled behind to catch up properly. It didn’t take long for them to arrive, with Pansy leading the way to Maestro's Music Shop. On her shoulder sat little Kira, and after a great meeting with Hagrid the day before, Pansy decided that she wanted to do a week long research concept to see how the Horntail responded to different types of music.

            Pansy held her hand flat with Kira on it as she searched the store, high and low for the perfect piece of equipment. She ended up deciding on a musical jewelry box that could be charmed to play the different genres she was interested in. Kira was happy to take a nap in the box while the group continued their walk around. Neville made a quick stop at Dogweed and Deathcap to grab some special fertilizer and a new textbook. Hermione spent too long in Tomes and Scrolls while mindlessly looking for interesting books. Susan made one last stop at Ceridwen's Cauldrons. She had been using her brass cauldron for far too long and wanted to upgrade to a copper one for her healing apprenticeship. Pomfrey said she would get better and quicker results and so she didn’t mind buying the best.

            The time to visit Honeydukes was much anticipated. The girls knew they had to pick up some No-Melt Ice Cream, chocoballs and eclairs. It was important to stay stocked up in case of emergencies, and yeah, they just really enjoyed sweets. Neville even picked up some liquorice wands. But the four of them ended up eating most of them on their way back.

            When coming down the path, they could see the boys walking away from the Quidditch storage shed where they were putting away the spare equipment. Sweaty was an understatement and Pansy joked that she could smell them for there. By the time the four reached the house, the others were almost there as well. 

            “Hose down before you come in!” Susan called out behind her as she shut the mirror with force. It was unacceptable for them to tromp around their dormrooms in this state. Susan stuck her hand through the mirror and took aim as she blasted the six boys with water as they approached. They all complained and sputtered trying to breath, but she was relentless. Moments later, they were drenched, and Susan was blasting air at them to make it a quick clean. Once she was pleased with the results, and the others were laughing, she welcomed them. “Shower properly. You too Oliver, you’re the worst of the bunch.”

            Oliver saluted Susan and then waved goodbye so that he could go get ready for the evening.

 

* * *

 

            The Weasley twins’ apartment was close enough to the Leaky Cauldron that simply stepping outside would direct them into the right direction. It involved loud music, yelling and cheering and a lot of movement. They were quick to go from the apartment to head to the bar after brief greetings, wanting to get their night started. Hermione had given Harry a longer than necessary hug, but neither of them wanted to be the first to let go.

            Security let the group in with no problem and Hermione could feel her heart raise into her throat.

            They had outdone themselves.

            Seamus had always been very good at…well, to put it nicely, fireworks.

            At least that’s what he ended up turning his explosions into.

            The bar didn’t have any lights or streams or muggle contraptions, and instead Seamus had magicked the ceiling to have silent fireworks going off periodically. Shooting star shaped confetti, whizzers and highlights, the dance floor was lit incredibly as people pushed in. An entire wall showcased the different types of alcohol available – including muggle drinks. Behind the bar was Seamus and Dean, laughing and joking about with the customers. The dress code had been _fun_ and  _classy_ as Susan said it would be, because the bar wanted to have a good first night. The girls looked great, Hermione noted happily. It had taken them almost three hours to get ready together, but in their defense that also included eating, pre-drinking and doing mini fashion shows. She had decided on a light pink off the shoulders blouse that belonged to Susan and a pair of high-waisted light wash jeans that she hadn't worn in years. Pansy rocked a gold embellished mini skirt with a casual black crop top. And finally Susan choose a simple lilac slip dress that looked amazing against her freckle-dashed skin.

             Another wall had booths and tables, but the main feature for the customers was an elevated stage where Hannah could be seen off to the side. She was just taking off her apron for the night, her shift having ended. In front of her was a DJ setup, her fingertips hovering over the different records as she shifted the music expertly. Several cages were also set up accordingly for dancing, and poles that were already being used rather excessively.

            “I had no idea that Hannah could…do that?” Hermione was flummoxed, watching with curiosity as Hannah’s face was etched with concentration. “And I knew that Seamus and Dean liked to drink…but look at them.” She was referring to the fact that the two boys were juggling bottles and lighting shot glasses on fire for the amusement of their customers. “I am-”

            “Talking too much! Please check out theses cougars dancing on that pole. I feel like they're showing us up and we need to duel them stat.” Pansy linked her arms through both Hermione and Susan’s, leading them to the bar where she pushed through to the front. “Little Irish man! Black British lad!”

            Somehow, above the noise, both Seamus and Dean could hear Pansy making fun of them. First they tossed irritated glances between themselves but soon spotted Hermione and Susan standing at Pansy’s side. Dean gave a quick wave and continued bartending, motioning that they would catch up later. Seamus bent under out of sight but popped up with his hands full of shot glasses. He expectedly poured two shots of firewhiskey for each girl and then light them on fire with a snap of his fingers. Seamus locked eyes with Susan, looking for approval, which he fully received from Hermione.

            “Brilliant!” Hermione picked up the first glass, studying the little flame that flickered from orange, red and blue. Pansy picked up hers and Seamus handed one to Susan. Together the three cheered and took the shot. It had no heat, but still held the same taste that they were used to. Seamus smirked, glancing down at the second shots he had already made for them.

            “Gotta keep you special girls taken care of, sure as hell those guys at Hogwarts aren’t doing it right.” Seamus stepped back while watching the trio take the second shot, filling three glasses with an unknown beverage. Once each girl caught their breath, he handed them the next drink. “Call it a Witch’s Brew. The lasses love it, sweet and fruity. And it’ll get you right fucked!”

            Hermione was tentative taking this drink, but watched as Susan fully trusted the bartender and Pansy wasn’t exactly one to turn down any kind of alcohol. Sipping cautiously led to a full-on gulp. The Witch’s Brew was…wonderful. Hermione could feel the magic and the alcohol immediately kick in, even more so than the firewhiskey did. Seamus’ smirk turned into a big smile. He was proud of himself, and he had every right to be.

            “Be careful out there, shout if you need anything. Ya understand?” Hermione and Pansy nodded in tandem, basically finished their drinks. Susan leaned over the bar to wrap one hand around Seamus’ neck and place a chaste little kiss on his cheek. Seamus’ ears turned bright red and shooed the three girls away.

            Pansy hung one arm over Susan’s shoulder, laughing loudly at the Hufflepuff’s bravery. Hermione had one arm around Susan’s waist, leaning her head on the Hufflepuff. They made their way to the booth that their friends had grabbed. Susan felt the need to explain her actions – which Hermione and Pansy both stated that she didn’t have to explain anything – but Seamus and her had grown close during the 7th year. Nothing happened, not for the lack of trying on his part.

            Sitting down was Harry, Fred, Neville, Oliver and Draco. It was an odd assortment of peers, and Hermione never thought she would see the day where Draco and Neville were chatting with Harry about his godson and his ability to change his nose shape every time he sneezed. Fred and Oliver were speaking animatedly with a lot of shouting and hand waving. Directly across, on the dance floor, they could see Michael was with Cho Chang and Daphne Greengrass was dragging Theo out farther. Just below one of the cages stood George along with Blaise, Terry and Alicia Spinnet while Lee Jordan danced half seductively, half humorously.

            “Come on then, Boy-Who-Lived-Because-Hermione-Saved-His-Ass-Several-Times, let’s go see if you have any moves.” Pansy put her drink down and crouched towards Harry who had a look death on him. Hermione sniggered, mumbling that Harry not only had two left feet but also what felt like ten more unnecessary feet on top of that. “Eh, we’ll have fun, right Potter? I’ll even charm my shoes so that I can’t feel the pain.”

            Harry didn’t stand a chance as Pansy grabbed hold of his tie.  

            Susan pouted in Neville’s direction, not even having to say anything. He shuffled out and gave her a quick pat on the head as they followed Harry and Pansy.

            Both girls had left the leftovers of their Witch’s Brew and Harry had been working on a rum and coke before disappearing. Hermione twiddled her fingers excitedly as she slid into the empty space and sipped from his drink with a cocked eyebrow.

            “How you doin’ Granger?” Fred sat next to her, amused by her basically stealing drinks from her friends. “Thirsty?”

            “Fred! I should be asking you that! You should be celebrating! I’m so happy that you’re out here tonight, everyone is beyond-.” Hermione noted that Fred didn’t have a drink in his hand and was one hundred percent sober compared to the rest of the bar.

            “You know that I wouldn’t be here tonight if it wasn’t for you. You and Susan. You and Percy. I owe the three of you my life and I won’t ever forget that.” Fred gave her the most serious look she had ever seen cross his face, wanting his thanks to really set in. “Besides, can’t drink yet. The doc said beer isn’t great for the brain.”

            There was the joke that Hermione had been missing.

            “Fine, no drinking. But can you dance?” Hermione teased. The words had slipped out with ease, as if Hermione had considered them before speaking. She hadn’t, but the pre-drinking had definitely taken out a new page from Hermione’s agenda. Pansy was right, Hermione did like having goals and plans and targets. Tonight, all of those components happened to point her towards Fred. Ron hadn’t come for the night as he chose to spend time with Percy, helping him paint a nursery. He wanted to get to know his nephew so Hermione felt nothing when it came to flirting with Fred.

            Draco, who sat across and was chatting with Oliver, overheard her conversation however. He managed to make her ears burn red with embarrassment. It was silly though, as she had the right to dance with whomever she wanted to. And it’s not like he had jumped up at the chance of dancing with her either.

            “You’re lucky, Hermione, I happen to know how to bust a move or two.” Fred seemed excited as Hermione finished off the mish-mash of drinks that had been left on the table. He reached for her hand and let her lead the way to a spot near where most of their friends had gathered. He was right, Hermione realized, that he really did know what he was doing. It wasn’t intimate or sexual in any context, just simply dancing and laughing. They were able to watch Pansy and Susan switch partners occasionally, Neville and Harry both confused with the circumstances. The girls even went as far to drop both of the guys and dance with each other which only had a beat of danger – Neville and Harry began to dance together in the most awkward way possible. Lee Jordan was dancing with some unknown witch and George was cramped into a cage with Cho and Daphne as they sang along to the song. Blaise pulled Alicia Spinnet in close, laying small kisses against her neck, as if no one else was around.

            Soon enough Hermione felt herself being pulled away from Fred in the crowd, being turned into Theo’s chest. He kept her against his body and instructed her hips how to move with his. It was different than with Fred, Theo’s body heat stronger than any of the sweat and scents from the club patrons. They fell into an easy and good rhythm for the music. Hermione grew in confidence, happy to be where she was at that exact moment. Terry had brought drinks out for the girls, soon stealing Susan for a dance and Oliver made his way to scoop Pansy up.

            The longer Hermione was on the dance floor, and the longer Hermione kept accepting drinks, things began to change. Fun turned to wild. Everyone could feel it. Hannah had complete control over the crowd at this point, spinning song after song. Pansy was draped over Draco, the two snogging with no regrets next to Susan who couldn’t control her smile as Seamus twirled her while he was on a break. And Hermione was trying to focus on the flecks of gold in Michael’s blue eyes. Without realizing her hands had grasped to the ends of his hair and his hands lifted her arse for better friction. She could imagine someone looking in from the outside, she could imagine what the pair looked like. But she didn’t care. For once she didn't care.

            This is what they all meant by fun.

            Time passed with no one really taking notice.

            Susan pushed through to Hermione, a stupidly large smile plastered on her face.

            “How drunk are you, Sue?”

            “Oh I started drinking water almost an hour ago,” Susan didn’t pull Hermione away from Michael. Instead she pressed up against Hermione and rest her face next to Hermione’s so that she could hear. Susan’s matched their speed and motions perfectly, even reaching over Hermione to give Michael a playful kiss on his lips. “Speaking of time though, it’s getting late. We still have to Floo home.”

            Hermione didn’t mean to smirk, but Susan caught her mid action.

            “I might try to spend the night here…with Fred. Why not, right?”

            “Hermione Granger, you minx!” Susan shouted, decidedly pushing Michael away so it was just the two girls dancing. “Listen, Fred is by the booth, talking to George. Want some help in getting his attention?”

            The twinkle in Susan’s eyes told Hermione that she couldn’t say no. Motioning for Pansy to come over, Susan wrapped her arms around Hermione’s neck lazily before counting down and looking over her shoulder. As Pansy took her last step towards the girls, Susan moved forward to give Hermione a kiss.

            She didn’t respond at first, shocked sober. Hermione had never snogged a girl before but held no negative thoughts about girls that had. Susan kissing her wasn’t the worst thing that ever happened, and in fact happened to be much more than she was expecting. Soft and tender, she tasted like mint chapstick and had Witch’s Brew on her breath. So Hermione took the bait and began to kiss back, ready for anything. Susan was slow and careful, inching into Hermione's lips while slipping her thumbs through the belt loops of her jean shorts. It was incredibly erotic to the point that Hermione could hear herself whine a little as Susan pulled away. Pansy caught on quickly, eyeing the Weasley twins down before taking her own turn to give Hermione a good snog. She was more dominate and daring, slipping her tongue in with no hesitation. Nowhere in Hermione’s plan for the night did she have scheduled ‘be groped by Pansy Parkinson.’ Pansy had moved from her ass to cup Hermione's cheeks for a final toothy kiss before both of them laughing. Kissing Susan and Pansy, purely in a friendly manner, was unexpected but not wrong. 

            Susan had been correct though, they had caught the attention of Fred. But they also caught the rest of their friends’ attention as well. “Hey, hey, take it easy. Neville might split right here, and Michael looks like he’s dreaming.”

            “We should all just go home together, give them all something to think about.” Pansy parted from Hermione, brushing Hermione’s hair behind her ear. “You can always have Fred another night, dear. But how often will we have this power over our mates? I just think this could be a lot of fun.”

            “More often than you think, cause we are so doing that again. You girls are such good kissers.” Hermione covered her mouth as she giggled, turning bright pink at her expression. “You know, as friends. So much better than Ron and Cormac. Okay, new plan. Two more songs, then we meet again and head out. Deal?”

            Pansy was the first to step away, looking for Neville openly. If she wasn’t going home with anyone tonight, might as well get her needs out while she could now. Susan winked at Hermione and backed into Blaise for one last dance. Hermione was last to move, shifting off of the dance floor to cool off before ending the night. She gave a grin to George as he walked by cat-calling as he headed back out on the floor to dance with Alicia. Fred waited in the booth for her with wide eyes.

            “Didn’t realize you were such a popular lady.” Fred joked, nudging her side. “Can’t believe you have time for Freddy-boy.”

            Dean passed with a tray of water and handed one to both at the booth before moving on. Hermione took a sip, studying Fred as he drank his own. She could see the stitches still down the back of his neck. “How are you doing?”

            “Bit sore, everything is really loud. I’ll be heading out soon. I’m back in the shop tomorrow and want to be ready to go,” Fred replied. “Excited, actually.”

            Hermione took the moment to reach up and grab Fred’s shirt collar. It was now or never.

            Soft, tender, dominate, and daring.

            Unlike kissing Susan and Pansy, kissing Fred was exactly what she had expected.

            Wild, desperate, free, and present.

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly my friends and I kiss each other all the time? it's no big deal and is tons of fun. leave comments and kudos because I thrive on attention k thaaaanks


	6. Break My Heart (I will not forget)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well why not????

           “Come on, lamp post.” Pansy nudged Susan forwards into the Weasley twins’ fireplace. Susan gave Pansy a dirty and confused look as she stepped with the Floo powder in her hand. Pansy was still the drunkest of the three roommates, but both Susan and Hermione didn’t really mind all that much. “Move it, my extra long baguette.”

            “What on Earth are you talking about, Pans? What’s with the nicknames?” Hermione asked Pansy as Susan disappeared in the green smoke back to Hogwarts.

            Pansy looked blank, as if it were obvious and Hermione was completely missing it. “Susan is very tall. I quite enjoy how tall she is. She is like a sentient tree. And I love her.”

            The smoke cleared and Hermione led Pansy into the fireplace. She definitely wasn’t in the right state to Floo alone. She let Pansy leap onto her back, encouraging her to hold on tight. Hermione threw the powder and closed her eyes. As the smoke cleared, she breathed a sigh to refresh her lungs. “You know, I agree. Susan is very tall and I love her too.”

            Susan was perched on the counter of island in the kitchen, peeking around the corner to watch her friends stumble into the living room. She stayed quiet though with her mouth full of ice cream. She held up two extra spoons, waving them sporadically.

            “Granger, my little lion, I want to congratulate you on your face.” Pansy continued, yawning as she planted a very wet kiss on Hermione’s cheek before sliding off of her back. She skipped towards Susan and reached for the spoon, beginning to indulge herself. The three girls ate contently. It was the first time in a long time since the apartment was perfectly silent except for the crackle of the fire and the hum of magic in the air.

            “Remember the first night we were here?” Hermione finally broke into conversation, doing her best to sort out her thoughts. “We were all having fun, and basically just as smashed as we are now.” Susan and Pansy nodded, side eyeing her. “Malfoy kissed me that night.” Susan tilted her head curiously, Pansy dropped her mouth shocked. “Yeah, I know. It was weird but it was nice.” Susan bit her bottom lip, Pansy squinted her right eye. “And so tonight Fred and I kissed.” There was a tiny groan that came from deep in Susan’s throat, Pansy began to grit her teeth. “Where do I go…from here? This has never happened to me before.”

            “What? Have feelings for two guys at once? God, Hermione, welcome to the world of being hormonal.” Susan rolled her eyes and went back to sucking down ice cream by the spoonful. “You don’t have to _decide_ anything. It’s been one week, we’ve been here one week. Live a little. Besides, you hardly know what you really want. It's not like you're leading them on or dating one.”

            “This is what I call fun!” Pansy gushed, smacking her hand against Hermione’s back. “For instance, I’m pretty sure that when Neville comes back tonight I’m going to shag him. I know, I know, but my vagina is telling me something and I need to listen.”

            Hermione still looked unconvinced, and slightly grossed out, but couldn’t help but burst with laughter along with Susan. Pansy overacted a wink in response. Susan dropped her spoon in the sink and shifted off the table. “You do what you need to do, but I know I need to sleep off this hangover.”

            Pansy made her way to get comfy on the couch in front of the fire. She gave a big smile to Susan and Hermione as they walked into the shared bedroom while waiting for Neville to get home.

 

* * *

 

            Susan woke up the following morning naturally to Hermione shifting beside her in bed. She immediately drank her Legless Elixir. She decided on a swim to begin the day in the seldom quietness that they were able to find in the house. The sun was just rising over the lake, highlighting the silver rippled waves. Quickly changing into a red bathing suit, she pulled on a pair sport shorts before scooting out of the bedroom without waking up Hermione.

            The rest of the house was still paused, all the lights dimmed and doors shut. There was a slight snore coming from living room. On the couch, in the exact same place where she had been seen last, was Pansy. She still wore her crop top and skirt, but someone had placed a blanket over her for warmth and comfort. 

            “Pans? Babe?” Susan snuck up behind the couch, brushing Pansy’s hair out of her face to wake her up soothingly. “Come on sweetheart, let’s get you to bed.”

            She moved slowly but surely, opening her eyes – deep red from crying. “Susan? My lovely little Eiffel tower?” Susan nodded, helping Pansy sit up. “He didn’t come home last night. Draco said that Neville went to go see Luna and he never came back. I feel so stupid. Like I missed my chance without ever trying.”

            Susan crouched around to kneel in front of Pansy, holding her hands. Pansy sniffled back her tears and rubbed her eyes dry. Together they walked back to the bedroom where Pansy slid next to Hermione, cuddling up to her straight away. Susan dimmed the lights again and sulked out. It was heartbreaking to see Pansy so hurt and broken up over a boy, it was so unusual. She pushed back the intruding thoughts however by the time she reached the lake and dipped her feet in to get adjusted to the cooling temperature.

            Long strides led Susan farther into the lake, reaching a point where she floated up onto her back. The sun had risen in between the forests’ trees, casting long shadows and sounds. Clouds above were daunting with a future storm in the making. And back at shore, she could see a figure standing at the edge of the water staring back out at her.

            Oliver waved and dove into the lake where Susan met him about halfway. The pair treaded just a few inches about the seaweed that tickled below. “Fancy meeting you here, Bones. I forgot that after getting right smashed you get up bloody early.”

            “It’s a blessing and curse, always have and probably always will.” Susan nodded, flopping her hair back behind her shoulders. “Means I’ll get a great nap in the afternoon. I don’t recall you being an early rising after drinking though…how did you put it last time…if you never woke up, you would never be hungover.”

            “I’ve got a right bloody headache and I had a hard time choking back breakfast.” Oliver laughed. “Teachers have a meeting this morning though and I didn’t think it would be very responsible of me to show up still a bit drunk.”

            This time Susan laughed.

            “Did you girls have fun last night? Disappeared right quick, you lasses did.” Oliver hummed, copying Susan’s early move of floating on his back. Susan joined him, matching her breathing to his. She said that they did, tons of fun really. Felt good. Left quick because it was late. “Glad to hear it. We should go out again sometime.”

            “I think everyone would love that.” Susan agreed without hesitation. Hermione and Pansy may have caused slight heart attacks last night but nothing was in malice or stupidity. She was proud of how they acted – how they wanted to act.

            “And, uh, you and I should go out again sometime too.”

            Oliver laid perfectly still even as wave swooped under him, causing Susan to jostle uncomfortably. “Excuse me?”

            “Come on, Bones, we could grab dinner or whatever. Don’t make me explain this, you know what it is.” Susan sent an angry splash of water in his direction. His coughing was satisfying. “Bloody hell!”

            “Three things, Wood. One, you hooked up with my best friend five years ago and that did not end well. Two, you are literally a teacher here.” Susan drifted off, glancing at the castle as if now she could feel people watching them.

            “And three?”

            “And three, I don’t like you.” It was just that simple.

            “Okay, so, one, I hooked up with Hannah when we were both young and we’ve both grown up a lot since that. Two, I may be a teacher, but you aren’t really a student. Of age and here under special circumstances, plus I don’t teach any of your classes.” Oliver listed rebuttals, switching to tread water next to Susan again. “And three, I know you like me.”

            Out of all things that happened last night, Susan had been the best behaved and strong headed. She didn’t overtly flirt with anyone or let anyone’s hands dip below her waist. Other than Hermione, she had a clean plate as far as she was concerned.        

            And yet Oliver had the nerve to smack her back to reality, kissing her in the Great Lake.

            How barbaric. She half hoped that the Giant Squid would come pull him away.

            Susan wanted to smack herself after she started to kiss him back.

            His hands drifted to her lower back. The feeling of water moving around them slowly as his legs banged against hers from the continued treading. Her hands landed on his chest.

            And it took all of her will power to push him away.    

            “You had no right to do that.” Susan could feel her nostrils flare, frustrated by their actions. “I said I didn’t like you.”

            Oliver, that son of a bitch, rolled his eyes. “But you’re happy I did. Susan, you kissed back.”

            “Learn to respect women and then we’ll talk again.” Susan swam quickly back to the land, refusing to respond to his pleading calls. “Come near me or my friends again, and I will personally teach you how to respect women.”  She yelled. “And fine, I do like you Oliver. I’m not bloody blind and I like your passion. But you know absolutely nothing about me or how I deserve to be treated.”

            She didn’t bother putting her shorts back on and instead ran back to the castle without tearing her eyes off the front doors.

           

* * *

 

            “Oh, morning Sue.”

            As if Susan wasn’t riled up enough, Neville had chosen the exact moment to show back up in front of the entrance mirror as she did. He wore the same clothes as the night before and a shit-eating grin. Susan knew he had gotten laid, she had seen that grin before. And he was missing a sock.

            “Go for a swim?”

            “You!” Susan dropped her shorts and wand to the ground, throwing herself forwards to elbow Neville against the side wall. “You left Pansy!”

            A small ‘oof’ escaped his stomach as she slammed harder than he thought possible. He may be almost a foot taller and almost 100 pounds heavier, but the girl had power.

            “I-.” Susan shoved her arm up higher to press against his rib cage to make sure he wouldn’t lie. She knew it hurt him. “Merlin, Susan, I went to Luna’s. It was easy.”

            “You and Luna broke up, Neville. You and Pansy have been fucking flirting since we got here, Neville. You and I are going to have a problem if this continues, Neville.” Susan let go of him, stepping back to give him room to breath. “Listen, if you want to be with Luna again, fine. But tell Pansy. If you want to be with Pansy, then _be_ with Pansy. Don’t be a dick and still date Luna while mess around with Pansy on the side. They’re both wonderful women and both want to be with you. Remember, you broke up with Luna because…because she wanted to see other people. Don’t do this to me, Longbottom. I get that you’re a pretty boy now but don’t let it get to your head. You’re a good guy.”

            Susan ranted, she could feel her heart picking up in speed. She turned quickly and left Neville alone in the hallway. The house had woken up a bit. Theo was listening to the radio while whipping up pancakes with Draco next to him cutting fruit.

            “Have either of you been asshats recently? Do I need to yell at you too?” Susan came off a lot more pissed than she intended, but in her defense, she was kind of on a roll. Apparently just because the men in her life were of age didn’t mean that they acted any more than boys. Theo looked scared and Draco looked confused. “Well, tell me the truth.”

            “I’m good.” Theo mumbled, not wanting any conflict so early in the morning. He made eye contact with Draco for a little bit longer than he should have however, giving Susan the hint that he Malfoy definitely had beans to spill.

            What did he do?

            “After you girls left last night, we were getting ready to leave and I may have gotten into a tiny tustle with Weasley.”

            “Because of Hermione?”

            “No…yes. Fine. Because of Granger.”

            “I’m exhausted. I know we wanted the chance to act like kids but I didn’t think this is how we would go about it.” Susan placed her head in her hands to find some more energy. She opened her eyes to check Draco for any damages, seeing where someone who was (according to the sloppy wandmanship) drunk knit together a gash on his knee. Susan pulled out her wand and fixed the cut, making sure to clean it for infections. “Why.”

            It was hardly a question. It was more of a demand.

            “He was bragging about it.” Draco turned back around to continue cutting the fruit. “Bragging about kissing her. Said she was good. Which I bloody well know, thank you very much. Said he was happy. Which I don’t doubt.”

            “So you fought him?” Susan was stunned at the immaturity in the house. “Was he degrading her in anyway? Was he being inappropriate in anyway? No? No, I didn’t think so. Fred Weasley is just as good as you are, better on most accounts. You don’t get to make Hermione's decisions for her and she, in fact, doesn’t have to make any decisions.”

            “Hypocrite.” The comment came from behind Susan, where Neville was rubbing his chest to help heal the bruises that were surely forming.

            “Absolutely fucking not, sir. You’re leading Pansy on when I can tell you’re still in love with Luna. I can see it in your dumb eyes. I only know because you used to look at me like that. Lead Pansy on more and I will cut out your eyes so you never get to look at another girl like that. Better yet, I might tell Luna what’s going on. If you’re seeing her and Pansy at the same time, she should know.” Susan was running out of steam, the feeling of being trapped enclosing in. “Hermione is seeing neither Draco nor Fred so she can bloody well do whatever she wants. She owes him nothing. Understand?”

            Draco and Neville were muted but Theo offered her a plate full of pancakes.

            Susan took the plate, thanked him, and stomped into her bedroom.

            Her afternoon nap came a look sooner than she had scheduled.

 

* * *

 

           “Sue? Mi?” Pansy called wearily, sitting up in an empty bed. It was later in the morning and she was already feeling better.

            “Closet,” Hermione called from behind the door. Pansy flopped out of the bed and found Hermione with Susan and a House Elf as they all folded their clothes and put them away. “You okay, Pans?”

            “Fantastic.” It was half the truth. “Can anyone fill me in on what the hell is happening?”

            Hermione jutted her chin towards Susan who was reaching the taller shelves so that the House Elf didn’t have to use any magic. Hermione left the closet, fully dressed and for the day. She had collected her books and was on the way to the offices to do her open house for younger students to come visit her. She brought along a potions textbook so she could get ahead on the readings if no one showed up. Susan had launched into their night and her eventful morning, and Hermione grimaced.

            She had been avoiding leaving the bedroom all day since Susan told her what happened.

            Things felt sticky.

            As if he had been waiting outside the bedroom door, Draco was the first thing she saw when she stepped out. Her sign told him that she knew everything that had happened.

            “You’ve changed, Malfoy, but you’re no different.”

            He looked like she had shot a dozen stunning spells to his heart.

            “I wanted to apologize to you. And I wanted you to know that I sent an owl to Fred to apologize, to meet sometime so I could him apologize in person.” Draco refused to step out of the way, making Hermione have to dodge him as she started walking away. He followed on her heels. “I want to apologize to you because I didn’t realize how much I liked you until last night.”

            This made her stop, looking over to the living room where Blaise and Terry were both sitting and watching intently. If Draco was willing to talk about his feelings in front of his guy friends, it was at least worth listening to. She stayed quiet but made an effort to show she was listening.  

            She was listening and he had nothing to say.

            “You should know that he won the fight.”

            “Fred is my friend, first and foremost. Draco, you were my bully most of my life. Actions speak louder than words and all I can hear right now is you calling me a _filthy little mudblood_ and all I can see is how you stood their while I was tortured by your aunt.” Hermione looked to the ground to keep her voice steady. “I’m reminded that you stood their while I was tortured by your aunt and the name you called me by my scar. I want more...I want more of a difference. I’m not asking you to change, just figure out who you really are and we can go from there.”

            Hermione moved through the mirror with her eyes set on the staircase that led to the Elites’ office.


	7. Kids (swear that we’ll never die)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has it all!!!

          Monday, after classes had finished, brought Hermione, Pansy, Susan and Michael to the library to focus on their apprenticeship homework. Hermione and Michael were  readings some textbooks from the restricted section, Pansy was sketching the different types of scales that Kira had, and Susan was working on her log from the shift she worked in the Hospital Wing the night before. Every so often someone would share an interesting fact with the group or ask for an opinion, but left the table to study hard and seriously for the most part.

            Hermione looked up as she heard her name being called – Ginny and Luna had just turned around a bookshelf and spotted them working. Pansy and Susan were fairly stiff at the sight of Luna, neither knowing if Neville had told her anything about what had happened the day before. Somehow the girls had managed to stay in their room the entire day, only leaving to get food or as a group to walk around the castle. They didn’t speak with any of their roommates as the tension had grown.

            Susan continued to write her log and Pansy picked up Kira to give her a few pets while Michael and Hermione chatted with Ginny and Luna. Michael and Ginny were getting on really well, both over the fact that their breakup had been not the best, and Hermione and Luna chatted about the upcoming Quidditch game of Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw.

            “Neville asked me this morning if I wanted the game to be a date. He said he would wear our colours and everything. How romantic,” Luna sighed happily. It was hard to ignore her. “I’m so happy I gave him another chance. I missed how sweet he was.”

            “So you and he are back on then?” Hermione tested the territory, dipping one hand below the table to hold Pansy’s. Luna nodded excitedly. “I thought you broke up because you wanted to see other people.”

            “We did because I did. But even only a few weeks away reminded me why he’s really the best.”

            Pansy could feel herself growing faint because Luna was being one hundred percent honest.

            “Yeah, actually, I’m not seeing anyone right now. Working on myself and all that shit.” Ginny pushed Michael’s shoulder playfully. He smiled, proud of her. “Harry and I weren’t going to work out. We’re not in the right place. To be honest, I’m a bit lost.”

            “I’m not sure where I am right now neither.” Michael agreed at the sentiment, pursing his lips to direct his thoughts. “I figured I’d have a map by now, but nope. Still working on it.”

            Susan suddenly felt her brain churning, listening to Michael and Ginny. The pair didn’t sound right as they spoke. Both people were missing something.

            “I need to go check the dosage of Skele-Gro I gave Dennis Creevy last night. Poor kid managed to be on the wrong side of potion mix up and lost all the bones in foot. I…need to go.” Susan stood up to run away from the terribly awkward situation. Hermione said that she would watch Susan’s stuff for her until she returned. Matched to her footsteps was Pansy who had apparently decided to follow her.

            “So where are we going really?” Pansy called in a sing-song fashion. “I know you’re lying because Creevy came to my office hours today and was perfectly fine. We talked about vampires. That kid is so weird.”

            “Gotta find Terry.” Susan pointed forward, knowing that he would be in the third-floor games room. Terry had a slight addition to foosball. “I need to know something.”

            Pansy scurried to keep up with Susan’s long steps, even mimicking Susan’s uneasy creep as they passed Oliver’s office. She had hard a time containing her laughter while watching Susan flip the bird to the closed door. That girl knew how to hold a grudge.

            Sure enough Terry was happily playing with a group of students at the foosball table.

            Susan motioned him to tap out – which he did, giving his spot to a Slytherin third year that Pansy recognized. “What’s up?”

            “Is Michael gay?”

            “Well he’s not straight.” Terry answered, shrugging his shoulders and half laughing. “Where is this coming from? Did you talk to him? I didn’t think he wanted to tell anyone yet.”

            Susan let out a sigh of relief. “Oh good, I thought my hunch was wrong.”

            “He didn’t tell us, Susan guessed.” Pansy nodded approvingly to Susan. “Which I’m very impressed by, by the way.”

            “Has he said anything about Blaise?” Susan continued, eyebrow raised. It was a well-known fact that Blaise was open to any relationship with any gender. “Just curious.”

            “Not his type.” Terry looked sceptical, unsure if he was giving too much information. “Listen, go talk to him yourself. He came out to me after he and Cho broke up in sixth year.”

            Pansy and Susan gave a quick goodbye before rushing out of the games room, letting Terry get back to the foosball competition. Pansy wanted to know what Susan was going to do with her new find, which she said nothing. Neither of could do anything about the situation until Michael felt comfortable enough to talk.

            “Back to the library,” Susan threw her arm over Pansy’s shoulder. “Pretty sure Ginny and Luna will be gone by now. They have an astronomy project due.”

 

* * *

 

            Hermione thumped forward halfway through the night, with Pansy being tossed to the ground in the motion. Both girls had woken up to a loud scream. It was around four in the morning and they realized that Susan hadn’t come to bed yet and was in fact the one screaming from the living room. Hermione hadn’t moved so quickly in months, with Pansy hot on her trail, as they went to check on their roommate.

            Susan was jumping on one of the couches, happily yelling and squealing. Draco was seated on the same couch, his body falling and rising with each of her movements. He was smiling broadly at the redhead, but in a quiet appreciation.

            “What the bloody hell is going on?” Blaise had made his way to the living room as well and stood next to Terry. Theo, Michael and Neville still slept soundly apparently. “We thought you were attacked, holy Merlin.”

            Susan made a final jump off the couch and slid Draco’s long sleeve back to reveal the Dark Mark. Or at least what used to be his Dark Mark. It wasn’t exactly dark anymore. Instead the symbol was a hot pink colour that was so bright is practically glowed in the dimly lit room. Susan’s smile matched the brightness and even Draco was grinning at the ridiculous colour.

            “I did it. I had a breakthrough on my apprenticeship. If I can change the colour of a Dark Mark, I _know_ I can change the composition.” Everyone could feel Susan’s heart swelling with happiness, her eyes telling of her excitement. “I can do it. I can fix it. I just need time.”

            Hermione moved towards Draco, curious with Susan’s handiwork. For months the best doctors and nurses and scientists have been working on a solution to the Dark Mark with no luck of any progress. “How?”

            “Everyone has been trying to just make them disappear, as if they never existed. So literally nothing has been done about them. I figured that if I could make one change, one simple change, it proves that something can be done eventually. Pink is a start, skin colours might be next. The Mark would still technically be there, but no one would be able to see it.” Susan fell out of breath, sitting beside Hermione as she touched Draco’s arm. It burned hot where the magic was still fresh. The Mark held such dark magic that it wanted to reject Susan’s good magic. “Harry gave me the idea on Saturday night as we talked about Teddy. Metamorphmagi, I need to focus on Metamorphmagi.”

            “Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely kill you in the morning.” Pansy looked dead inside and true to her word. Terry and Blaise bid goodnight to Susan and Draco before heading back to bed as well. Hermione stayed though, thoroughly amazed at the magic.

             Susan excused herself to use the bathroom, something about needing to vomit again. Hermione turned to follow her but Susan assured Hermione that she was fine. Susan asked Hermione to apply some of the burn-cream to Draco for her.

            “Has she been throwing up all night?” It was the first time Hermione had spoken to Draco since their last discussion. “What’s going on?”

            “We were with McGonagall tonight, after all of you went to bed. It was our first private meeting with her. Susan’s main project this year is to cure an uncurbable illness – get rid of the Dark Marks. And I’m creating a potion for the PTSD that our world is suffering. Muggle remedies don’t work well with our magic. Since Susan is the only one without a full Patronus, she’s my test subject, and I’m hers.” Draco cringed as Hermione gently rubbed the cream onto his Mark, the burn soothing to a sizzle. She looked up, ready to argue that the two of them were being incredibly risky. “Hence McGonagall. We work with her personally, along with Slughorn and Pomfrey. Everything we use on each other is run through them first. Burning was her side effect and mine was a stomach bug. We’ll both be fine by morning.”

            Hermione bit the inside of her cheek, thinking. “Thank you.”

            “I just want things to be different. When she took the prototype, she said that she felt lighter for a moment. She said that she felt light.” Draco breathed loudly, hinting to Hermione’s past suggestion. She knew he meant it, the way he was proud to now display the Mark and how he showed her his work materials. “I just want to make a difference.”

            Susan came back from the bedroom, searching the kitchen for a glass. She filled it with water from the tap and wet a cloth to lay on her forehead. “Hey, Draco, can you tidy up for me? That took it out of me. I really need to sleep this off so I can go to class tomorrow.”

            Draco twisted to give thumbs up to Susan. He bent over to the table to collect both of their things and clean the area. Hermione stood a foot away, watching him put things away and stack Susan’s things properly on the kitchen table. “You should go back to sleep, Mi, the sun will be up soon.”

            “Do you feel alive, Draco?”

            “I will one day.” He replied, turning the candles down until they blew out. In the darkness, he leaned against the counter and felt Hermione make her way from the living room to the kitchen. She stopped in front of him, her heart so loud that he could hear it himself. “I promise.”

            “I believe you.”

            Her lips brushed against his in the darkness.

            Just once, and just for a second.

            Just so she could feel alive herself.

             

* * *

 

            The nine Elites had made time in their schedules to go watch the first of the year from the Frog Choir. Flitwick had bothered Michael during their one-on-ones to the point of insanity that no one felt safe about him either going alone to the show or him not going at all. So now, front row and centre, the nine enjoyed the group of talented students and their toads. Susan sat on one end with Terry to her left, followed by Draco, Neville, Hermione, Michael, Blaise, Susan and Theo. Theo was at the end of the row and there was only one seat open next to her right.

            Of course, Oliver barely made it on time and strutted up to the seat.

            “Touch me and I will introduce you to the fork that I have hidden up my robes.”

            Oliver smirked, intrigued by Susan’s oddness. “Want to explain why you have a fork in your robes?”

            “Snack emergencies. And it doubles as a weapon for remarkably idiotic boys.” Susan managed to keep her voice so low that only Oliver and Terry could hear her, not disturbing the concert whatsoever. Her threat made Oliver inch away and Terry snicker.

            The choir finished their first song, with a roaring applause from their guests.

            “You’ve been avoiding me.”

            “For obvious reasons.” Susan was on her game, ready to keep Oliver on his toes at all times.

            “I just want to talk.”

            “I just don’t want to.” She sneered under her breath, daring him to continue irritating her.

            “Bones, I think you owe me-.”

            “She doesn’t owe you anything, buddy. She said she doesn’t want to talk, so I recommended shutting up.” Terry spit quietly, his nerve being hit with Oliver’s persistence. Oliver had not only tried to keep the conversation going, but his hand had landed on Susan’s thigh. “Remove your hand, or Susan and I will switch seats. I’m not so sure you will still have your hand if it’s on my leg.”

            Oliver shifted his entire body and glued his eyes to the choir.

            Susan could feel the anger run smoothly out of her system. Terry looked forward but had his arm resting against hers. She linked her fingers through his and gave a squeeze, thanking him. He squeezed back and neither of them let go. No matter how powerful Susan was, it was always better to have backup.

            The concert continued, and during the intermission Oliver got up, spoke to Flitwick, and left entirely. Once he was out of sight Susan tilted her head upwards to get a good look at Terry.

            “You didn’t have to do that.”

            “I wanted to.” Terry responded, still keeping his fingers linked. “I know that you like him…but, just be careful.”

            Oliver was good looking, and passionate about many things, but was pigheaded and distracted at best. Susan knew this and had known this for a long time. Years, really. There was something about him that still drew her in. The way he could be so nice sometimes, only to be slapped in the face by his coldness moments later. A part of her thought that she could fix him. There was a part of her that wanted to fix everyone.

            “I know.”

 

* * *

 

            Pansy walked through the mirror only to directly tumble on Theo. He was crouched up in the corner of the room, bent over several pieces of a puzzle. She looked up to take in the rest of the room only to find Hermione, Susan, Terry and Blaise all working meticulously on a very large puzzle. None of them, not even Theo, noticed her entrance.

            “What’s…uh, what’s going on friends?”

            “Susan’s cousin sent her a 1000-piece puzzle of kittens and pumpkins.” Hermione explained, far by the fireplace where she had edge pieces with Terry. Both were hunched over and working closely, not bothering to look up.

            “Shouldn’t you be…I don’t know, working on something more important?” Pansy was delicate as she weaved in between her friends to take a look at the progress.

            “Found out my nonna passed away this afternoon.” Blaise laid on his stomach next to Susan, him studying the box cover and Susan glancing upwards to give Pansy a look of justification.

            “So, we bet Malfoy that we could finish it in an hour. If we do, he does our dishes for a week. If we don’t, we have to cover his office hours for a week.” Theo, now behind Pansy, explained softly. “As if we have time to cover his sorry ass.”

            “Want to help?” Terry asked, waved Pansy over to join them.

            And yeah, Pansy did want to help.

            Another fifteen minutes passed and Hermione yelped because they only had thirty more minutes. Michael came in five minutes after, finishing his office hours, and jumped on the chance to put some pieces together. While working, everyone intently listened to Blaise talk about his grandmother. He claimed that she was the only person in his family who actually had a soul. His stories ranged from sailing on the Mediterranean as a tot and learning Italian from her as a child. When he came to Hogwarts, she always wrote to him. She was the only one who ever wrote to him.

            “Tic-toc, friends, only twenty more minutes.” Draco had slid through the mirror, his hands full of bags. He had brought home take-out from the Three Broomsticks for dinner. He set up the meals on the kitchen table and poured out some Butterbeer for them to drink with it. “Where’s Neville?”

            “With Luna.” Hermione answered, feeling Pansy sit back for a second. “They’re eating in the Hall together tonight.”

            “That means we have an extra pot pie to split between us, sucks to be him.” Draco went back to setting up the dinner, moving swiftly in the kitchen.

            “It really does,” Hermione placed a gentle kiss on Pansy’s forehead, encouraging her to concentrate on the puzzle. “Blaise, can we all come to the funeral for your grandmother? We want to support you.”

            Blaise gives a silent thank you as everyone chirped in that they wanted to come along as well.

            “One more piece…where is the missing piece!” Theo yelped suddenly, causing everyone to search the living room high and low. A panic rose as the time hit with a minute left. “MERLIN’S FUCKING FEET, where is it?”

            Theo had ended up under the coffee table, Blaise was in the fireplace, Hermione was flipping cushions, Pansy stood on the window ledge to survey the room and Michael crawled around the spare floor as if he were a small creature.

            Susan sauntered into the kitchen, one hand laid flat in front of Draco. “Resourcefulness, cunning and ambitious, meet dedication, hard-work and fair play.”

            With everyone in the house tuned in to see the interaction, Draco visibly sulked. “Fine, you wench.” He reached into his robes and pulled out the missing piece. Susan tossed it to Blaise so that he could place it before the time ran out.

            “Enjoy dish duty, you tosser.”


	8. Human Touch (don't have to call it love)

           “Okay, so hear me out,” Michael had been staring out into a blank space for a solid half hour, twirling his wand around his fingers. Hermione looked up, still holding the ball of yarn that Susan was working with to knit, pausing only briefly to give him some attention. “Wigs for spiders.”

            “Michael. Why?” Hermione made eye contact with Susan, deciding to take on the responsibility of the boy’s thought process. Susan went straight back to knitting, shaking her head in disbelief.

            “Just these absolutely ridiculous wigs. Bright blue mohawks and rainbow afros.” Michael continued, pointing his wand in Hermione’s direction. It was as if he was thanking her for the inquiry. “They’d be a lot less scary. And it would give them a sense of purpose and style. Give them confidence and we could work with them in trading and…yeah.”

            Hermione and Susan made eye contact again, and thanked Merlin that Neville decided at that moment to walk through the mirror with Pansy.

            “I’m just saying that you have no idea. I remember that first flying lesson, you were traumatized.” Pansy had her arms crossed and seemed at ease as she walked side by side with Neville. “You haven’t tried it since then. I say you should try again. It really is fun!”

            “I told you, Pans, there’s no way in hell that you will ever get me on another broom.” Neville replied back, leaving her in the living room to grab a drink from the kitchen. He came back with Draco in tow, who had been in the bedroom. “You can thank Draco again.”

            Draco looked personally offended, scoffing loudly. “Longbottom, I had nothing to do with that. All I did was help Potter discover his Quidditch abilities. You’re just naturally not a flier.”

            Blaise entered into the living area from the tunnel that lead to the Slytherin house. It had been a few days since he had found out about his nonna’s passing and was doing much better. Susan had spent the first night asleep on the couch with him, and the following night Hermione laid next to him in her bed while her roommates shared beside them. Even Pansy had gone out of her way to make sure he didn’t feel alone. “It’s Saturday at 2. McGonagall said that she would set up a Portkey for us an hour before to take us to her vineyard in Florence. I understand if you don’t want to go, it’s during the Quidditch match.”

            A loud bark of a laugh came from the kitchen, Theo having overheard Blaise’s dramatic tendencies. Everyone agreed to go, no questions asked. Pansy nudged Neville gently. “What about your date with Luna?”

            The room quieted again, looking to hear Neville’s answer.

            “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Blaise. You have my support.” Neville stood strong, as if there were no other possible answer.

            Hermione watched as Pansy visibly let stress go, coming to the conclusion that she could be friends with him even if he was dating Luna. The house would most likely fall back into place.

 

* * *

 

            “Yeah, boys are cute but they disgust me and constantly disappoint me.” Pansy hunched over her bowl of sugary cereal the next morning. Hermione and Susan sat across from her with matching dissatisfied expressions. They had spent the entire night up talking about Neville, Luna and Pansy, discussing how Pansy felt and how she could get over the situation quickly and painlessly. “You know?”

            “They’ve got a smell.” Susan nodded, mumbling into her mug of coffee.

            “Have you met Ron Weasley? He’s an overall disappointment.” Hermione had the smallest smirk playing on her lips, a forkful of hash-browns hanging just above her plate.

            “I’m not going to get in the way of Luna. She deserves happiness just as much as I do.” It was incredible to watch Pansy grow and shift with her surroundings. Hermione had never guessed that she would be such a _good_ person, but here she was taking herself out of a game that wasn’t fair for either competitor. “The boys will be up soon; do we want to wait for them or head out to the library?”

            “Library,” Hermione quipped. “It’ll be distracting in here and we already have the spare key.”

            Pansy excused herself to brush her teeth before they were to leave and Hermione went to put the rest of her breakfast into a container to travel with. Susan drank the last of her coffee and fell face forward onto the counter to close her eyes. She listened to Hermione move around the kitchen, presumably cleaning up and pouring mugs of tea for the girls to take with them. Another set of footsteps joined her in the kitchen.

            “Ladies.” Theo looked just as tired as Susan felt. His hair was unsettled and eyes still half closed, and he clearly hadn’t bothered on covering up. In just boxer shorts, Susan could see his well defined back muscles stretch as he reached up for the sugar jar and when he turned to give Hermione a welcoming nod, his V-line drove her attention to exactly where she wanted it. “You’re up earlier than usual.”

            “We’ve got work to do before we head to Italy for the funeral.” Hermione made casual conversation, glancing to Susan who looked like her thirst level had risen to dangerous levels. “You?”

            “A fourth year wanted to do an early morning tutoring session and asked if I was available.” Theo grinned into his mug, using his free hand to try to shake his hair into place.

            “Hey, speaking of tutoring, Sue was wondering if you could give her a run down on the Carrn Scrolls. We learned about them yesterday in Runes and it went completely over her head, didn’t it, Sue?” Hermione luckily remembered Susan’s concerns from the day before. “I would have helped her, but you and I both know Runes is your speciality, Theo.”

            “After Herbology? I can meet you in the classroom, Babbling let’s me use it whenever.”

            Susan grinned.

            Pansy strode out of the bedroom with three bags – her own was slung over her shoulder and each hand held the other girls’. “See you Nott, gotta go learn.”

 

* * *

 

            “I didn’t _know_ , okay?” Susan bit back at Pansy. She had seen Susan’s stupid grin and immediately knew what was going on in her head. “I was worried about Oliver and Seamus and-.”

            “Oliver is out, he’s a jackass. Seamus is half-out because he’s not around. You know who’s very nice and is very here. Theo.” Pansy rolled her eyes, unlocking the library’s door and pushed them open. Hermione went about to flick on a few lights and sent the curtains spreading. “Just remember, he’s got a big heart. Total loser, in my opinion. Big ol’ nerd. Could be good for you though.”

            Hermione laughed at Susan’s expense. “Come on, Bones, I saw how you basically drooled over him. The lad is good looking.”

            “Can we talk about this later, please? I need to finish this week’s report since we won’t be here this weekend.” Spattergroit, though repulsive, was at least an interesting assignment to read about. Pansy and Hermione fell quiet to focus on their own studies.

 

* * *

 

            By the time lunch came around, Hermione found herself in the potions classroom next to Draco. He had asked for her help, behind as Slughorn had assigned him nearly forty quizzes to grade for Monday to return to the third years. Hermione had, of course, agreed and brought down some lunch for the both of them to eat while marking. As they went through the papers, Hermione could recall the nasty essay that Snape had given them about the Undetectable Poisons.

            “How’s Blaise?” Hermione dipped her quill again, the red ink running dry against the scroll.

            “Handling it. He’s Blaise, he can handle anything.” Draco glances up from the essay he was marking which was so poorly written that it could have been a different language. “Tomorrow will be hard for him though. His family is a bit…serious. Nonna Zabini was the coolest grandma ever, really nice.”

            “Do…you think he would appreciate sometime away from everything?” Hermione treaded carefully on her idea, not wanting to intrude on her friend’s mourning. Draco shrugged, not sure what she meant. “Harry’s place is all finished and has said that we can all come by whenever. Might be nice to have a movie night and takeout.”

            “Yes, yes, he would like that.” Draco didn’t miss a beat, excited by the prospect of getting out of the castle and away from Blaise’s family. “Thanks Granger, that means a lot.”

            The castle, though it was home, still held memories within the walls. It got easier for them everyday but tested patience and stability when unknown corridor was explored or a staircase moved unexpectedly. Hermione couldn’t pass the corner where she saw Lavender fighting for her life and Hermione couldn’t stand in the front doors at certain times in the day because she could see Colin’s lifeless form. She had conquered the entrance to the Room of Requirement when Susan fell into a suit of armour across from it and she had dominated the third-floor girls’ lavatory when Pansy tried to out sing Myrtle in a battle of Defying Gravity.

            “Besides, it’s been a week since I saw Harry and I miss that stupid boy.” Hermione continued with the paper in front of her, adding a final suggestion grade at the bottom for Slughorn to lookover. She and Draco chatted lightly for the rest of lunch about movies and how they worked.

 

* * *

           

            “So! How was it?” Pansy was walking around the bedroom in just her towel, padding forwards to greet Susan who had just come back from her tutoring session with Theo. She rushed around the room to collect her things for her shift at the Hospital Wing, only looking up once to smile at her roommate. “Tell us everything!”

            “It was good, I think I get it.” Hermione stuck her head out of the closet, obviously getting dressed for bed. Susan slipped off her school uniform to stand in just her bra and underwear. Hermione tossed her a clean set of scrubs for the night and Pansy stood behind her to quickly braid the long red curls. Pansy pulled a bit too hard and Hermione refused to step back into the closet until Susan gave them a better story. “Fine. He smelt good.”

            “Talk about _love_ , hey?” Hermione chortled, smacking the door behind her to finish prepping for bed. “When should we send out the wedding invites?”

            Susan laced up her white sneakers and studied herself in the mirror. The scrubs were something she had begged Pomfrey for, more comfortable for the new position. These ones were teal with yellows stars on them. “I’d hold off on those because nothing happened. In fact, Terry joined us.”

            Hermione popped out again and Pansy stopped pulling at Susan’s hair.

            “Weird, right? It was his idea that I studied with Theo and now he’s crashing?” Susan crawled out of their sight as she went to brush her teeth. A moment passed. “I’m going to be home late tonight, I’m doing clean up for Pomfrey and there’s a case of a bug going around so things get messy.”

            Pansy flopped herself onto the bed where she had her journal ready to go, letting Hermione crawl in next to her with a book.

            “Just don’t wait up, alright?”

 

* * *

            

            Susan managed to make a black t-shirt dress with white pearls and a pair of white ankle strap pumps look classic and put together. She borrowed one of Blaise’s Slytherin cardigans to show respect to his nonna. Her bright red hair fell naturally in the wind as the group crossed the campus to the Portkey. Hermione wore a black sleeveless a-line dress and borrowed a pair of embroidered flower block heeled ankle boots from Susan. The necklace that Harry had given her for her sixteenth birthday, a silver swallow charm, sat nicely on her chest. With a lot of hard work, she had trapped her hair into a pretty updo so that the funeral’s guests had no additional ammo to have against her. And Pansy looked conservative in a long sleeve casual Peter Pan collar flare dress in black. She wore it with a pair of black ballet flats and a black felt hat, as if adding drama to the outfit. Her grey ombre hair was half-way pulled up into a twist, something that Michael was happy to do for her.

            Things happened fairly quickly.

            Blaise held Hermione’s hand the entire time.           

            Pansy teared up during his speech, and Draco took the time to pin some pictures of the three of them together on the back wall. It began to fill up with memorabilia, including one of her shawls that Theo recognized as the blanket she used to cover him and Draco with when they were babies.

            Neville made polite conversation with the other guests, leading Michael, Terry and Susan through the difficult topics. He was skilled in the language of purebloods. He knew that even though the war was won, a lot of people would still hold prejudices.

            Hermione recognized that she stood out. The press had arrived to record the event and had become memorized by her movements. To have one of the Golden Trio attend the funeral of a known Voldemort supporter was incredibly…rare.

            “I’m ready to go now.” Blaise spoke lowly, the crowd still lively even with the evening approaching. “Can we go home?”

            “We’ve got something better in mind, mate.” Draco nudged him and gave Hermione a nod. “We’re heading over to Potter’s for a night in. He’s got Chinese food on its way with something called an ‘Aladdin in a VHS.’ I have no idea what it means but Hermione and Michael are quite excited about it.”

            Hermione linked arms with Terry and Pansy, Draco took Susan and Michael and Neville grabbed onto Theo and Blaise’s forearms for everyone to apparate. When Blaise opened his eyes and settled his stomach, he was greeted by Harry who held a baby with bright yellow hair and bat ears. Hermione was quick to give him a kiss on the cheek and take the baby, cooing at Teddy.

            “Good timing, the food just arrived. Someone mind helping me in the kitchen?” Harry welcomed everyone, encouraging them to get comfortable in the family room. It was the perfect mixture of magic and muggle. Little hints of both worlds created a safe atmosphere which drew a fresh breath for the group. Pansy kicked off her flats and followed Harry into the kitchen. “Beer is in drawing room if someone wants to grab a round!”

            Susan and Draco went to go fetch some of the muggle beer that Harry was so fond of while Michael went to go set up the first movie, explaining how the electricity worked and what was going to be happening. Blaise couldn’t help but smile and squint back his tears, slipping off his jacket and loosening hit tie.

            Hermione danced around the family room, bopping up and down with Teddy. She watched as her friends mingled and settled. The smell of Chinese food was overwhelming but familiar. Susan and Draco handed out the glass bottles to the group, setting Harry and Pansy’s on the coffee table. Draco even opened Hermione’s for her so she didn’t have to let go of Teddy. Susan and Michael fiddled with the lighting and curtains to get them just right as Terry, Neville and Theo moved the furniture around so that everyone would have a good view.  

            The movie started once the food was platted and beers cracked. Hermione knew every word to _Prince Ali_ and Michael could quote Genie without hesitation. Draco was ultimately confused as to why Aladdin didn’t have nipples, meanwhile Pansy was concerned because she had never been attracted to an animated character before. Harry sat with Teddy in his lap on the ground, Pansy next to him. Hermione curled up into her favourite chair – a rocking chair with plaid coverings. Neville, Susan, Draco and Terry squished together on the main couch and Michael cuddled with Blaise on the loveseat. Theo laid out front on his stomach, ignoring Hermione’s caution telling him that he could hurt his eyes if he sat too close to the television set.

            Oliver and Company was put into the machine next and snacks were broken out.

            In the kitchen again, Harry and Pansy laughed at the inside jokes that the group now shared. He spoke outwardly about the Disney company and how he wanted Teddy to be adapted to muggle-life just as much as he was to wizarding styles. Pansy talked about studies on genies in Peru and how she wanted to become more aware of the muggle culture.

            “Thanks for having us tonight, Harry.” Pansy stood next to Harry as he popped some popcorn and she poured pretzels into a bowl. “Blaise needed this.”

            “I needed it too.” Harry pushed up his glasses and leaned against the counter to chat with her as the timer ticked. “It’s been good getting to know all of you outside of who we used to be. You’re not half has bad as I thought you were.”

            Pansy snorted, throwing a pretzel at him. “Well fuck you too, Potter. You’re still Boy Wonder to me. Except I’ve realized it’s less about being a hero and more about luck.”

            Harry rolled his eyes, catching the pretzel in his mouth that she threw. “No need for such harsh words, Parkinson. You wound me.” Harry felt a surge of bravery as Pansy leaned over him to grab the bag of chips. “Anyways, I’m not that lucky. I would have been your friend much sooner if I were.”

            The timer beeped, telling Harry to check on the popcorn. The two worked next to each other, pouring the snacks in their individual bowls. “Yeah, well, maybe you’ll get lucky now.”

            Harry felt his mouth go dry and his eyes grow wide. Pansy laughed at his reaction.

            “Not _right_ now, Potter, damn.” Pansy folded up the used bags and picked up the bowls to head back into the family room for the next movie. “And yes, I know what I said. I meant it. Boy Wonder or not, any girl can see how cute you are.”

            Pansy was gone quickly, seated back in her original spot. Harry placed the snacks before rounding back to whisper to Hermione while Neville argued with Draco about volume levels. “Mi?”

            Hermione raised her eyebrow to Harry, not about to give up her comfy seat.

            “I think Pansy just hit on me?”

            Surprisingly, her expression didn’t flinch or quiver.

            “She does that.” Hermione took another beer from Terry as he and Blaise brought out another round. “Doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but it could. Pansy was just hung up by Neville and is-.”

            “What? When did this-.”

            “Harry, let me finish, don’t be rude.” Hermione huffed, cracking open the bottle to take a drink. “If you want something, act on it. Now’s the time.”

            So, to Pansy’s shock, he does.

            Halfway through the movie, his arm is around her shoulders and they’re sharing a blanket.

            It was more intimate and caring than Pansy had ever experienced before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry ya'll, really random chapter?? I kind of lost focus on this one as my head bounced from weird scenario to weird scenario  
> \- I'll try to get my head back on straight :)))))


	9. Oh My (I've had two years in heaven but five weeks in hell)

           “What the holy hell is that?”

            The once quiet kitchen was broken by Susan’s entrance.

            Everyone knew she was talking about Michael’s new facial hair.

            “Do you like it? I thought it made me look older.” Michael was beyond proud of his adulthood likeliness, brushing his fingers through the growing beard. The boys were all usually very well kept, trimmed, and were most likely to be bare throughout the week. It seemed as though Michael had forgone his ritual of shaving every Wednesday morning. “I quite like it.”

            Susan simply stared, beady eyed, at Michael from the kitchen’s hook.

            “Let it go, Sue. He looks fine.” Pansy waved away her roommate’s ridiculous stature. “Come. Eat. I grabbed us breakfast sandwiches and apple juice.” Susan still didn’t move, unimpressed.

            “Fresh pot of coffee is brewing too.” Hermione pointed with her spoon to the machine which was just a few moments away from beeping.

            “My love, my life, my light.” Susan exclaimed, sauntering into the kitchen – making sure to whack Michael on the back on his head. Susan sat down in between Hermione and Neville, across from Pansy. Terry, who had been at the counter already, poured her a mug automatically. Setting the mug across from her, he also encouraged her to take a bite of toast. “Fine, fine, Merlin you guys are pushy.”

            “Most important meal of the day, Bones.” Blaise came into the kitchen next, giving each girl a quick kiss on the top of their heads before sitting down as well. “Draco won’t be joining us today. He’s not feeling great.”

            “Is it that meatloaf we had for dinner last night? I knew we shouldn’t have let Theo cook. He just _looks_ like he can’t do it.” Susan spoke in between sips of her coffee. Pansy snorted, stating that Theo knew his way around the kitchen just fine.

            “No, that’s not it. He’s…quiet. I think his Mark is affecting him. So if we could all trade notes with him, he’d be appreciative.” Blaise kept his voice level, mixing together a yogurt while speaking. The table quieted. “And Theo is just finishing up in the shower.”

            Susan felt a kick of guilt. “I haven’t…done anything with him for a few days. It shouldn’t be because of my magic.”

            Hermione rose from her chair, collecting her dirty dishes and thought quietly. “I doubt it has anything to do with us, Sue. Don’t you ever feel quiet sometimes? When the world is just a bit too heavy.” She sighed, as if the world was a bit too heavy on her own shoulders at that very moment. “We have double transfiguration this morning, so Blaise and I don’t have to go. We can stay with him, talk with him.”

            “And arithmancy?” Neville questioned their after-lunch period. “We should all really be there.”

            “Meet back here, and we can try to get him to come with us. If not, maybe he can take a nap.”

            The group collected their things and thoughts before heading off to class.

            Blaise and Hermione cleaned up the kitchen as everyone said their goodbyes, leaving the pair in a silent partnership. “How do you usually help him?”

            Blaise looked over his shoulder to glance at Hermione, towel drying the plate in his hand. “He likes to be left alone. We only force him out when he has to come out.”

           

* * *

 

            “Morning sunshine,” Hermione knocked lightly on the door with her knuckles, balancing the tray holding tea and fruit carefully. She didn’t wait for a response, instead using her hip to clear the way and enter the dark room. A little _lumos_ light illuminated just above one of the beds and all the curtains were closed from the world. Draco was curled up under his comforters, his wand held tightly against his chest. “Sit up for me so we can eat together.”

            Draco didn’t speak, just twisting a bit to watch as Hermione approached. With a little more coxing, he sat up and leaned his body to meet hers next to him. Hermione handed him his mug of tea and placed the bowl of fruit in between them. She warmed her own hands with her the extra mug of tea that she brought.

            “Want to talk about it?” She hummed, happy that Draco had the energy to fuel himself.

            “Not particularly, no.”

            Hermione pouted, immediately thrown off from her original plan. “Have you scheduled any meetings with the counsellor? They're nice.”

            “Have you even gone?”

            He had a point. Hermione hadn’t. No matter how many times McGonagall casually has them walk by the office or how many times Harry writes her about the opportunity, she just can’t seem to poke her head in to meet the counsellor. Of the nine, Neville was the only one attending weekly meetings. Susan has gone two or three times, but is usually so shaken up by them that she immediately goes to sleep afterwards. Pansy, altogether, avoids the hallway and Blaise had stepped into the office only to step directly back out. Theo, Michael and Terry had all gone for their initial meetings but hadn’t scheduled any since.

            “Let’s go together.” Hermione murmured, picking up a piece of pineapple from the bowl in front of him. Draco looked pleased with the turn of events, sitting up a little straighter to nudge Hermione’s side playfully. He listened to her rattle on while he ate. The weather, classes, Pansy’s very special skill of belching the alphabet and Susan’s talent with flower crowns.

            Draco slowly munched and drank, paying attention to Hermione’s words. “So cute.” Draco chuckled, “Hermione, fuck, you are so cute.”

            “I’m cute, but I’m messed up nonetheless.” Hermione nodded in his direction, sipping the rest of her tea. “Which is why you and I are both going to schedule counsellor appointments.”

 

* * *

 

            “Do you need anything?” Blaise was amused, watching Michael pace around the living room quite frantically. His date was arriving soon – some young Hufflepuff that Susan had set him up with. Cute butt and enjoyed quidditch, Luke Cholderton.

            “Could use a little courage.” Michael nervously laughed, winking to Blaise as he tried to break the tension.

            Susan looked up from her seat at the desk next to the window. She was writing a letter to Hannah with a glass of wine. The bottle was half empty after having finished her history essay. With minimal movement, Susan lifted the bottle of wine in Michael’s direction.

            “No thanks, I prefer the real kind.” Michael shook his head wildly, his smile finally growing.

            Hermione had just so happened to walk in at that moment with Neville beside her. Susan scooted out of her chair to grab the back of their robes to stop them in their steps. She smirked at her joke and so did Michael. “How do you two Gryffindors feel like coming along for a date with Michael as some extra courage?”

            Hermione scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, and Neville smirked. “Sorry, can’t, I have my own date already.”

            Susan rolled her eyes obnoxiously, causing Blaise to howl with laughter. “Listen, _Michael_ , I’m a Hufflepuff. Don't worry. Now tell me, what did we discuss last week about Hufflepuffs?”

            “‘Hufflepuffs are particularly good finders.’” Michael raised his voice a few octaves to mimic Susan’s. “But Sue, that doesn’t have anything to do with relationships.”

            “Hufflepuffs are good finders, hence Hufflepuffs are good at finding two people and playing matchmaker. Don’t mess with me right now. Trust me.” Susan sat back down and chose to flick away the rest of the conversation. “Go, have fun, be safe. We share a wall, Corner, I’ll know what dirty deeds you bring home.”

            “Don’t…do not even think about…Michael, please. I’m begging you.” Terry had rushed into the living room from the kitchen where he and Draco had ben doing dishes. His stutter made both Hermione and Susan laugh, the colour in his cheeks draining in panic. “I still remember fourth year, dude. Please don’t put me through that again.”

            “You guys can always room with us if Michael ends up getting lucky.” Pansy, who had walked through the mirror just in time to hear Terry’s fear, gave an overdramatic wink to Neville. At first he froze but loosened his shoulders as he relaxed. “The three of us usually share a bed anyways, so you’ll each have your own.”

            Terry and Neville both passed disapproving looks to Michael who began to rub his hands together menacingly.

 

* * *

 

            “This isn’t what I meant when I said to learn how to respect women.” Susan snapped, shoving past Oliver on her way to breakfast. Friday had come quickly and the entire group was excited to do a whole lot of nothing for the weekend. She, and the rest of the Elites, had elected to sleep in a bit as they had spare in the morning, and would attend a late breakfast in the Hall. “And did ‘leave me alone’ somehow translate to ‘please come bother me’?”

            “There’s no scheduled Quidditch game for tomorrow. McGonagall has requested that I plan something last minute for the students’ entertainment since we’ve all been trapped inside because of the rain. Elites versus Alumni. For fun. The gates will be opened for the public and families to come and see how Hogwarts is doing.”

            Regardless to the fact that only three of the Elites had ever played Quidditch at the school, Susan ignored Hermione’s surprising gasp. “When we win, I want three things. One, you apologize to Hannah. Two, you don’t hit on anymore students while working at Hogwarts – _it’s creepy._ ”

            “And three?”

            “Three, you and I try to be friends again. That’s all I want when we win, Oliver. Friendship and respect. Think you can handle that?" Susan could feel Hermione’s hand reach up to give her shoulder a supportive squeeze. The rest of the Elites had caught up to the pair on their way to breakfast, a few feet back to observe the conflict in front of them.

            “ _If_ you win, Bones. _When_ the Alumni win, you owe me a date.”

            Susan was too quick for anyone to stop her, her hand jutting out to shake his on agreement.

            Oliver trotted off, giving a nod to the group he passed on his way to his office.

            Susan, quickly again, spun with a stern expression.

            “Alright, who can fly?”

 

* * *

 

            “He’s going to get the best players he can. For the show value, without getting professionals.” Draco scooped some scrambled eggs onto his plate and thanked Blaise as he poured tea for him. “Are you really willing to go on a date with Wood?”

            “She’s not, and that’s why we’re going to win.” Pansy chirped across from Draco, sending an indeterminate look to Susan who was to her left. “Anyone have a plan?”

            Hermione sat up straight and let a full smile brighten up the table. Everyone groaned in unison. Of course, she had a plan. And of course, they desperately needed it. Pulling out some graph paper that she always kept in her bag, Hermione began to draw out the field. “Alright, Malfoy will be the seeker. Zabini is one of the chasers and Boot has a good standing as a keeper. No one try to fight the fact that I know you can all fly…considerably well. Neville and I will stay grounded no matter what. Because of, you know, the lack of talent and true fear. So, logically, it would make sense if we base the rest of the positions on body size. But I’ve been studying Quidditch for a long time now, thanks to Harry and Ron, and I think our best step is to focus on strengths. Nott would be well placed as a chaser, even though his mass suggests a beater’s stance. I think that his friendship with Zabini as another chaser will be beneficial. I’ve seen you two have conversations without any words. Adding Corner as the last chaser is a risky, but potentially very rewarding move. Thin, fast. You’ll be able to fight between Nott and Zabini, and you’ll be able to keep up.”

            “That leaves Pansy and Susan as the beaters? Have you finally lost it, Granger?” Blaise couldn’t hold back his concern, shifting forwards to speak some sense into their gamemaker. “Girls as beaters is very rare, and having Pansy and Susan as beaters is just plain stupid.”

            “Parkinson has a decent backswing and can fly circles around you.” Theo was reminded of their summers that were spent in the sky. Pansy, though tiny, was daring and strong. “And Susan plays a bunch of Muggle sports that require bats, right?”        

            Susan sank in her seat, eyes wide. The only time she had ever mentioned baseball, tennis or hockey was on the train ride back to Hogwarts. It had come up in conversation between her, Theo and Blaise, explaining how she and her cousin spent time together. Susan nodded, confirming his theory.

            “You don’t like flying though. Will you be okay up there?” Terry leaning against Susan to check on her well being. Susan nodded again.

            “Alright, so were good then. Let’s hit the pitch after classes? We’re all done at 6 tonight.” Hermione pulled out her agenda next, scribbling down the plan. Neville grimaced as a sign of pity for the rest of his classmates. Things were going to get messy.

 

* * *

 

            Pansy handed in the latest report she had written for Hagrid, letting Kira hop over to cuddle against his beard. Terry had tagged along as he had wanted to give the professor some of the cookies that Michael had baked the night before. The little fire was burning, with the October wind bustling outside, and the sun getting ready to disappear for the night.

            Everything had been cleared for their impromptu practise. And Pansy felt ready. But her hands still shook as Hagrid accepted the report with a glance of concern. He knew better to question it though. Pansy would speak when she was ready, and to who she wanted to hear her. If she needed help, she knew that Hagrid was there for her.

            “Charlie will be coming to tomorrow’s game and wants to meet you. He wants to see if you have what it takes to survive on the reserve.” Hagrid chuckled, making sure that Pansy knew he was fully confident in her ability. “I’ll see you kids out there and will make sure to grab you before he leaves.”

            “Sounds great, thank you again.” Pansy gave a small smile and whipped her hands down her robe before calling to Kira to come back. Terry and her would be meeting the rest of the gang on the pitch in a few minutes so they couldn’t stay for a long visit. Together they waved goodbye and after a few steps away from the hut, Terry grabbed onto Pansy’s wrist.

            “Okay?”

            A beat passed between the two.

            “Keep an eye out for Susan up there, please.” Her voice didn’t quiver, her hands stopped shaking. She was very serious. Terry had never seen Pansy really be concerned for anyone other than herself and was taken aback. “You’re good and solid on a broom. So I know you can watch her and play well at the same time, and I know you’ll protect her. Not that she needs protecting but she might try to do something stupid. Hufflepuffs are an odd bunch.”

            “You really do like her, don’t you?” Terry could hear the simplicity in his question and rolled her eyes when Pansy snorted.

            “Yeah, well, you really do like _like_ her, don’t you?” She retorted, hands crossed in front of her as she led him towards the pitch with a sense of accomplishment. “Incredibly pretty, funny and smart, so I definitely understand why. I bet it is nice not having to worry about Seamus anymore, seeing how he has a raging hard-on for Dean. We all saw that one coming. Especially Susan.”

            Terry’s silence was very satisfying.

            “Just so you know, Theo also has a boner for Bones, not that she really knows. So as long as you two dimwits don’t hurt her, we won’t have a problem. Play fairly.” Pansy spun to whisper her last piece of advice to Terry before broadening her grin to greet the rest of the Elites that were already suiting up for practise.

            Hermione looked adorable. She had a clipboard and made Neville trail behind her for support as she spoke to each member. A pair of old jeans were paired with a red and black plaid shirt. She wore one of Draco’s dark green jackets over her shoulders but not yet done up and looked extremely comfy with a pair of fuzzy boots on. Compared to the rest of the group, Hermione looked most prepared for the weather.

            The players donned various pieces of athletic and safety wear. When Hermione reached Susan, she helped the red head do up the ridiculously unfashionable helmet and placed a kiss on her nose for luck. When everyone was finally prepared, brooms at the ready, Hermione attempted to have them run drills as best as she could.

            Terry stayed in his net, letting the three chasers take shots and run scenarios. He had to admit they were doing alright, keeping him on his toes. But below them all was where the real action was going on. Hermione was working with Pansy and Susan. The new beaters had their bats and were grounded as their coach sent plates flying up into the air with magic. They took turns at hitting the bludgers that were being tossed to them by Neville to aim at the plates. It was incredible to watch as with time both girls became very good at controlling power and aim. About an hour into their hitting practise, Neville partnered up with Draco to help him warm up. Neville bewitched a golf ball and had Draco flying all over the field in an attempt of catching it.

            It was interesting to watch the transition. Terry could hardly contain his amusement when Hermione amplified her voice magically so that Susan and Pansy could take to the air. They were going to work on their speed and agility. Hermione transformed the sky into a moving-maze where the two girls worked on quick starts and stops, tight turns and vertical changes. Pansy was a natural but Susan seemed to struggle. It was as if she wasn’t thinking clearly.

            Or was thinking too much. 

            Terry signaled to Blaise, Michael and Theo that he would be right back, jetting to meet Susan. Pansy and Hermione continued their drill while Susan stayed aloft with him.

            “I don’t like flying.” He didn’t even have to bring it up, she was more than aware of how scared she looked.

            “Flying likes you though. Do you know how good you look on a broom? With the wind and stars?” Terry spoke smoothly, content with the blush that crossed her cheeks. Escaping from her low bun, long red curls had been freed from the sport and drifted beautifully. The stars acted as a stage for Susan, her pale skin dotted with freckles that put the sky to shame. “You don’t have to like flying to be good at it.”

            The blush disappeared with his real piece of advice. She looked confused.

            “You have perfect form and you have no problem with making that bludger your bitch. Sue, all you have to do is get out of your head and be in the moment. The rest will come to you.” Terry laughed. “This is about having fun. We all know you like having fun.”

            “This is about winning.”

            “Winning is fun, right?” Susan sparked at his idea. “Why not have your cake and eat it too?”


	10. Power (that don't mean I'm ever gonna take it laying down)

            “I’m sorry,” Ron interrupted Hermione. “It’s just every time you open your mouth, you seem to get even more annoying. Does it take effort to do that?”

            Her jaw dropped and her ears burned red as she listened to Ginny and Harry chuckle at her expense. She had just been so excited to explain how well the training had gone the night before and how the Elites actually stood a chance. Sure, it had been a spill of words and exclamation points, but Ron had no range of integrity.

            “Honestly Ronald, that was incredibly rude.” She crossed her arms and turned to face the pitch once again. Ron’s smile and joking nature gave her a warm embrace though, letting her in on the emotion of the situation. “Just because my beaters can fly circles around your brothers doesn’t mean you have to be so mean.”

            “Excuse me?” Ron had fallen silent but now Ginny jumped forward. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Susan and Pansy have nothing on Fred and George. Size, speed and skill. Nothing.”

            “George is missing one ear and hasn’t flown since then – his balance will be off. And Fred hasn’t been out of the hospital for even a month yet. I have a good feeling about this, Gin.” Hermione accepted the pat on her head from Harry. He was totally neutral on the subject, and had turned down Oliver’s initial request to play as Seeker for the Alumni. For once Harry wanted to watch instead of win.

            The entire stadium had filled up with cheering fans. All ages, houses, and backgrounds were in attendance. Parents, graduates and simple magical-folk were overflowing with exhilaration. Extra stands had been added by Flitwick and McGonagall that morning to accompany the increase in audience. Wards had been set up along the castle’s exterior to keep non-Hogwarts students out for protection, but pathways from the gate’s entrance guided the guests to the Quidditch field. All four houses were represented in the crowd, with flags waving, hats thrown and signs lighting up the cloudy background.

            “Welcome all,” McGonagall had taken to the centre of the pitch, preparing to begin her speech. Hermione could hardly concentrate of the headmistress. She could imagine her team waiting off to the side, stretching together and laughing. Neville scooted through the busy stand to be next to Hermione. He gave her a thumbs up and whispered that everyone was in good spirits. “We are more than happy to have our Alumni returning for a good old fashion game. Their opponents will look familiar, Hogwarts’ Elites.” McGonagall continued, not bothered that she was being drowned out by the crowd. A cue was given and suddenly fourteen bodies were in the sky.

            A checkerboard took formation. The Alumni wore white jersey-sweaters and grey pants created by the Patil twins, and the Elites were decked out in black tops and matching grey pants. The Patils had taken the order on short notice but were still pleased to get exposure for their business. Last names were written on the back of the sweaters.

            Boot, Nott, Corner, Zabini, Parkinson, Bones, Malfoy.

            Wood, Pucey, Davies, Flint, Weasley, Weasley, Chang.

            Neville nudged Hermione, grinning wildly as the Elites flew in a single pattern around a few feet in front of each stand. Malfoy lead. He prompted his team that followed to do twists and turns and drops. They looked good, they looked ready.

            Her eye was drawn over to the twins. Her suspicions were right, with George testing himself with the loss of singularity. Fred seemed to be taking it easy altogether. Hermione’s heart sore like the little school girl that she was when he blew a ridiculous kiss in her direction.

            Wood was already yelling at Flint for some unknown reason, but both men pulled themselves together with a nod and flew off in opposite directions.

            McGonagall traced the time onto the score board, signifying that they had only one more minute of warm up before being grounded. The Elites switched direction, having Boot lead them towards where Hermione and Neville jumped and cheered. Slowing down to a safe pace, all seven Elites high fived their peers and coaches with giant smiles.

            When everyone landed, McGonagall had them shake hands with their counterparts.

            A moment later the game had begun.

            After their practice last night, she and Malfoy had stayed awake a bit longer than everyone else. They both knew that he would be catching the snitch long before Chang but both wanted to give a good show and have their team really excel. He would monitor – studying Cho and the snitch, while also keeping an eye on the score to do safety math. Now, on the field and in the air, he flew several feet above the game play.

            If anything, Malfoy seemed to be enjoying the action below.

            Zabini and Nott were always in each other’s line of sight, with Corner weaving between the Alumni as their spare. Boot was in constant movement to guard the hoops.

            Parkinson had flown in head first, bat loaded. She stole the audience’s breath with her first few swings and gave the audience life again to save the boys’ asses within minutes of starting the game. No one would have ever guessed that the tiny terror would be just as terrifying in the sky as she was on the ground. Several times she stumped Pucey halfway through an attack, causing the older Slytherin to shout and swear at her. He only received a flirty smile in response. Pansy had explained that the two of them had sex two years ago and that he was a sourpuss since she didn’t want to do it again. The image made Draco laugh.

            Bones was careful in the beginning, more so following the action rather than being in the middle of it.

            That was, until Oliver flew a playful loop around her while she stayed back.

            There was no doubt in Hermione’s mind that Susan was infuriated.

            When her bat smacked against the bludger, the crack echoed in the sky, and it was sent barrowing towards the pesky keeper. Oliver, luckily, ducked. But the bludger skipped along his side, close enough that the crowd gasped in unison.

            “And that’s Zabini with another point!” Lee Jordan resumed his role of announcer, but sat next to Luna who acted as the other commentator.

            “This brings the score to 30 – 20 for the Alumni.” Luna spoke clearly, watching as the scoreboard flipped accordingly.

            The game chased on, each team well matched.

            Malfoy circled above, trying to control his laughter as Chang watched him curiously. He could spot Hermione among the hundreds of people in the stands. She wore a Gryffindor scarf, a Ravenclaw hat, his Slytherin sweater and Hufflepuff mitts. Neville was beside her, his deep voice bellowing loudly. He was just as decorated as she was with a Gryffindor hat, a Ravenclaw sweater, Slytherin mitts and a Hufflepuff scarf. If Malfoy didn’t know any better, he would think that they were chanting his name specifically.

            Pulling him out of his thoughts though, was Susan. She was soaring towards him, bat at the ready. He could see her mouthing a countdown, her words silenced by the wind and game. At ‘one’ he slipped to the left. It was just in time for Susan to _thwack_ the bludger that had been thundering towards him from behind. A trick shot from one of the Weasley twins.

            “Thanks for the save,” Malfoy called to her as she zoomed past without a second glance. Susan seemed to be following the bludger, dipping to pick up her speed. Her eyes were glued to Flint as he continued to bother Michael. She was sick of the dirty playing and was determined to do something about it. And Susan did.

            “Incredible! Flint has been knocked off his broom by a bludger sent by Bones! That girl absolutely crushed it, ladies and gentlemen.” Lee hollered, thrilled by the event. Luna mentioned at how Flint’s drop was softened by McGonagall, who was referring. Flint, though hurt, hopped back onto his broom.

            Malfoy hovered above Susan, nervous as the giant Quidditch player saddled up next to Susan. He looked threatening, pushing up against her broom. It would have been a foul if he had physically pushed her, but Flint knew this, and therefore focused on shoving her broom out of range.

            “Oh come on, man, bugger off.” Malfoy yelled from above, pissed at his old teammate. “Leave her alone!”

            It isn’t Malfoy that does something though, as another Slytherin scoops in to steal Bones away from the rough player. The word  _Nott_   on the back of the sweater is the only thing that Draco can focus on as Susan is swept away so that she was out of Flint’s grasp.

            Thank Merlin their team worked well together.

            Together the pair flew in tandem. Susan took the lead as she beat off the traps. Theo snuck closely behind her, Quaffle held tightly in his arms. Together the pair score.

            “With the fantastic partnership, Nott brings the score to 40 – 40, even.”

            “Susan has really taken her new role on well, along with Pansy. Look at those girls go! Never played a game in their lives and yet Fred and George are continually cheering on for them. This game has been crazy competitive and cool!”

            The score continued to change. The crowd continued to cheer.

            Finally, at the hour mark, Draco could sense that if he didn’t act now his team would tire out.

            It was 110 – 80 for the Alumni, a fair game. With him catching the snitch, the Elites won with 230 – 110. The seven Elites swung down to the ground, tossing their brooms as they jumped to the centre of the pitch. Hermione and Neville darted down the steps of their stand to meet with them in the middle.

            “Brilliant, absolutely _brilliant_!” Neville shouted as he crashed into Pansy to pick her up and spin her around. Hermione placed her hands on Susan’s cheeks, both girls shouting excitedly at each other. Draco, Theo and Blaise came together to do an adorable little handshake. Michael and Terry held hands and hopped stupidly. The Alumni joined the winning team at the centre, giving out big congratulations.

            “Some things don’t change, hey Flint?” Susan dropped Hermione to take a good look at the damage she had done to his arm. Marcus’ right shoulder was completely dislocated and his chest was disgusting. It was as if she had dented it. “Good game?”

            “Great game,” Marcus rolled his eyes, thankful that Susan pulled out her wand and started to heal him. “We’re celebrating tonight. Will you guys be joining us?”

            “Of course, mate.” Terry gave a firm handshake to Oliver, directing their answer.

            Hermione saw Fred inching towards her and yet she was still completely shocked when he placed a wet kiss on her forehead. Hugging against him, she checked to see if he was doing okay. Hermione’s attention was pulled away however as McGonagall called for them to get their picture together with the Cup.

            Pansy was lifted onto Terry’s shoulders, next to Hermione, Susan, and Cho who were on top of Blaise, George, and Marcus. Roger, Neville, Theo, Adrian, Fred, and Draco knelt in front of the team with Oliver lounging on his side in the centre as a proud professor.

            As the camera flashed, the crowded arena began to disperse. The field was being transformed into a social area. Somewhat of an afterparty. Pansy was dragged away with the Weasley twins by Hagrid to visit Charlie while the rest of the Elites were pulled into different directions. Before splitting up everyone agreed to meet in their dorm by seven for a quiet dinner and then they were going to be meeting the Alumni at the Leaky Cauldron.

            Hannah was happy to announce free drinks for the winning team. And the winning team was happy to accept such a nice prize.

 

* * *

 

            “You okay, Mi?”

            Hermione looked up from the glass of wine she was nursing.

            Susan was standing a few feet away from her, staring into the mirror to make eye contact. She was modeling a white bodysuit which had a peace sign design made of daisies on the front. It evidently belonged to Luna and truly was adorable. Susan’s hair cascaded down her back, free flowing and as wild as the daisies on her clothes. Pansy was standing beside her, holding out two options for bottoms, high-waisted jean shorts or bright red pants. Both girls were focused on Hermione though, as she had grown too quiet.

            “I’m fine. Just thinking.”

            Pansy rolled her eyes dramatically, tossing the shorts to Susan to put on and folded the pants back up. “Well, stop. You did great today and we’re going to have a great time tonight. What could possibly be making you think?”

            “They’re not _bad_ thoughts, Pansy.” Hermione sniffed, giggling. “Just thinking. Draco and I have our counselling appointment on Monday. I’m trying to figure out what to say.”

            Susan had pulled her outfit together with a pair of black wedged sandals and a red plaid shirt for minimal warmth. Pansy was next to stand in front of the mirror. She already had her outfit on – a black crop top and a green faux leather army green skirt. Instead of critiquing her outfit, she practiced holding different drinks in her hand to see which went best. It was ridiculous, but it was Pansy.

            “Overall, I’m happy. I never thought I would be happy again. And it’s because of you and the guys.” Hermione continued, nodding towards the thigh high purple boots that Pansy was studying. Susan pulled out the bottle of wine and filled up their drinks, turning the music up just in case the boys were listening in. The Proclaimers would keep their conversation private. “It takes a long time, doesn’t it?”

            “I think it’s like Quidditch.” Susan sipped her glass. “So many people are against you, and there are so many things in your way of scoring. Bludgers come out of nowhere and can knock you off track, and sometimes you find yourself crashing to the ground at a death defying speed. But…the counsellors act like a coach. They help you train and get better and learn _how_ to play the game. And you have your teammates – your friends and family. The crowd will roar your name, they’re the people going through the same thing you are. And whatever position you’re playing, you adapt. You may not be the same player you were at the beginning of the game, but that’s a good thing…everyone changes.”

            Hermione didn’t realize she had stopped breathing until Pansy observed how red her face had become. Susan had hit the nail on the head. “No one can _make_ you better, except for yourself. The aspects of the game add to your life, I mean, add to the rules.”

            “Exactly.” Susan grinned, content with the change of expression in Hermione. “Now come on, we’re winners. Consider this to be a reward for playing a good game, or consider it a reward for having a better day. I’ve got that shirt you wanted to borrow.”

            Susan hands over the brown Nirvana shirt and scoots up behind Pansy to help her with her hair. She split it into two pieces and twisted them into separate buns on top of her head. Pansy looked damn cute and Susan looked very hot. And Hermione looked like Hermione in the t-shirt, ripped jeans and sneakers. Unlike her roommates, Hermione didn’t feel like dressing up, she never felt like dressing up.  

            “You look nice.” Pansy comments, understanding Hermione’s decision. Susan and Pansy knew that Hermione felt her best in casual attire. “What do you want to do with your hair?”

            “MICHAEL!” Susan belted out over top of the music in hopes of bringing in the talented wizard. It works and he enters the closet shortly after. “Tell him what you want, Mi.”

            Hermione clucked her tongue at Susan’s abrasiveness. She wanted a lot of things.

 

* * *

 

            “Who would have guessed that we would be ready before the guys?” Pansy poured out three shots of tequila, letting Hermione move around the kitchen to get the salt and cut up a lemon. Susan was fiddling with the record player again with Neville at her side. He was ready and sober for the night and simply could not listen to another song by Cyndi Lauper. Neville was complaining, but Susan was whining louder about his complaining.

            “They were fighting over the showers.” Hermione pointed out, finishing up with the lemon slices. “Which is why you can currently hear Blaise serenading us from our bathroom. So extra, I swear.”

            “And they’re already ten times more drunk than you ladies.” Neville, having calmed down, trotted back into the kitchen with Susan.

            “Unacceptable.” Susan noted, crossing her arms. She winked at Pansy as she poured the last shot. “Looks like we have to catch up. Hermione, would you allow me to do the honour?”

            Neville could feel his hands clam up as Susan side stepped towards Hermione, a devious twinkle in her eyes. Apparently, Hermione already knew what Susan was referring to. She let Susan pull her hair back and squeeze some lemon juice down the side of her neck, followed by a line of salt. Pansy sat on the counter behind the girls, watching intently as Hermione took the slice of lemon in her mouth. Neville wanted to die, and was positive it would be a very happy death.

            Just in time, a door closed loudly and the group could hear Draco and Theo walk towards them.

            The intruders didn’t phase Susan as she dragged her tongue along Hermione’s neck, took the shot, and the two girls began to kiss so that Susan could suck on the lemon.

            “ _Fuck._ ” Draco’s voice was low and his breath had run short, having him stop in the corridor to watch his dormmates. He was matched by Theo’s accidental groan.

            “Right!” Pansy sighed, slightly in love with the feeling of lust. “My turn now, my turn now.”

            Pansy scooted forward and giggled as Hermione swiped the lemon across her cleavage. Pansy popped the lemon into her mouth and Hermione sprinkled a thin layer of salt across Pansy’s chest. The room fell quiet again, only the sound of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Terry’s beating heart as he joined Draco and Theo at the side. Hermione was slower than Susan had been, thriving on the collectiveness.

            Susan lit up as her friends kissed, the tiny bits of laughter between the two a wonderful sound. As Hermione and Pansy separated they both eyed Susan who had began to clap her hands excitedly. “You know where you have to do yours, Pans! Just promise you won’t get any on me. I don’t want to be too sticky.”

            “What the bloody hell is going on in here?” Michael, shocked, stood a foot behind the other roommates. His eyes were wide but Blaise’s were double in size as Susan jumped up onto the counter and completely removed her tank top without a second thought. Her black plunging bra now on full display along with her torso – not even a smidge of regret in her eyes.

            Pansy linked her pinky with Susan’s and proceeded to set up the shot. The salt started from Susan’s bellybutton and stopped just under her breasts. Pansy cheekily propped the shot glass into Susan’s cleavage and handed the lemon wedge to Susan so could bite into it.

            “Your boobs are just so cute, Sue.” Hermione muttered, leaning down to smile at Susan who began to wiggle with laughter.

            She took out the lemon wedge to scoff. “Cute is just another word for _tiny_ , Hermione. Your boobs are fantastic. Merlin, what I would do to have your tits...”

            “Thanks guys,” Pansy rolled her eyes, oblivious to the stiff air behind the trio. “ _Your boobs are great too, Pans!_ Thanks, I know!”

            “You’re joking, right? Your butt is perfect. Don’t pretend your breasts are your best feature when you know that both Susan and I would literally die for even a piece of your ass.” Hermione scolded Pansy for her lack of understanding, and Susan nodded along with her observation. Pansy grinned immediately and nudged Susan to put the lemon between her lips again.

            Hermione was very aware of the eyes on them, but couldn’t be bothered to stop what was happening as she was most definitely more into it than any of the boys were. Seeing Pansy stick out her ass to get leverage over the counter, seeing Pansy’s tongue lick sickenly slow along Susan’s abs with determination in her eyes. Seeing Susan tighten with anticipation, seeing Susan’s chest rise and fall as her partner inched forward. Finally Pansy crept up to take the shot without any hands from Susan’s cleavage, finally Susan brought her lips to mesh with Pansy’s with the lemon forgotten about.

            It was erotic and yet innocent.

            It was true friendship.


	11. No Vacancy (used to be that I felt so damn empty)

           “So how do you feel now that you’ve lost?” Hermione sat in the booth next to Harry, the both of them chatting with Oliver and Marcus. The four of them had opted to hold the table while the rest of their friends had made it to the dance floor. The Elites had been surprised by a winners’ ceremony when they arrived to the twins’ apartment. The Alumni team, and the other alumni that had joined them, were hanging out in the living room and presented crowns to the Quidditch team. Hermione and Neville also received golden whistles as a way to poke fun at their coaching. Even in the dark club, Hermione could see the crowns glinting in the flashing lights and crowd.

            Oliver mumbled incoherently, clutching his beer as if it held all the answers. He was spying on Hannah as she stood on the stage with her equipment. Susan had given him quite a scare when Oliver mentioned not wanting to follow through with their deal. He would have to apologize to the young woman that night.

            “Sad and honestly, a bit horny.” Marcus, ever the gentleman, shrugged. Hermione crinkled her nose and Harry laughed at the brute of a boy. “Is that Susan girl seeing anyone? She gave me a run for the money and I like that in my women.”

            Harry filled Marcus in on the redhead’s story while Hermione turned to watch Pansy and Draco dance together. Theo spun Cho carefully and Adrian held Susan a bit closer than Hermione expected. Michael was getting down with Blaise and Terry stared openly at Padma and Katie as they danced on one of the poles. Neville had somehow ended up behind the bar with Seamus and Dean as they needed an extra hand with the orders. Charlie, Ron, Fred, and George were each partnered with beautiful unknown blonde girls, standing out against the background. Even Millicent was laughing loudly at something that Roger had said. It was a heartwarming sight, filled with a drunken haze.

            The song transitioned, giving Charlie, George, Cho and Katie the opportunity to take a seat at the booth. Hermione was quick to pull Harry up, motioning for him to dance with her. He obliged, but was clearly distracted by Draco and Pansy who were only a few feet away.

            “So? Come on.” Hermione didn’t need to say anything else, knowing Harry well enough that his eyes could never fool her. The letters that they exchanged hinted at the crush that Harry was harbouring for Hermione’s roommate. “Just do it.”

            “She’s definitely out of my league.” Harry didn’t whine, he didn’t even sound upset. More like he was understanding and had accepted his fate. “Actually, we’re not even playing the same sport. It’s kinda like she’s in the NBA and I work at a muffler store outside the stadium.”

            The Muggle reference was refreshing. Hermione smiled at Harry’s stupidity. “You are so _daft_. She thinks you’re cute and funny. It’s worth a shot, Harry. You saved the wizarding world but you can’t handle Pansy Parkinson?” Hermione managed to shove Harry and still dance with him, the two friends laughing at their predicament. “And, really, you need to get shagged.”

            The smirk that crossed Harry’s lips was almost unbearable, his hug wrapping around her tightly to cause her some pain. Hermione squealed to be released and sputtered out a broken laugh. She pauses though when Pansy comes sprinting towards her.

            “I just walked out of the bathroom and someone yelled ‘dibs’!” Pansy was in her happy state – buzzed and laughing. She held onto Hermione’s hand as she retold the story and leaned against Harry for support.

            “It was Harry.” Hermione quipped, her plan rolling out.

            “Oh, was it?” Pansy, one hundred percent sure that Harry would never do such a thing, tilted her chin up to look at him through her eyelashes.

            Whether it was courage and bravery or recklessness and arrogance, Harry agreed.

            Hermione lost her grip of Harry as Pansy pulled him deeper into the dance floor.

            “You happy that we won?”

            The voice had come directly behind her – Draco had snuck up.

            “Of course I’m happy that we won!” Hermione reached out for the spare drink that Draco had brought for her. “Aren’t you?”

            His platinum hair clashed with the gold tones of his crown, slanted from the bar’s activities. Draco’s grey eyes flashed silver as the lights shifted around the room. His smile held steadfast, a truly iconic look. “Win. Lose. I don’t care, because at the end of the day, I still have this face, so who’s the real winner here?”

            “Aw yes, the sweet sound of narcissism.” Hermione pretended to swoon at Draco’s confidence, sipping her drink teasingly. Debating on her next move, she downed the rest and smiled. Boosting his ego proved to always be interesting. “Come on, this coach wants to dance with her favourite player.”

 

* * *

 

            “He’s so pretty, I want to cry.” Susan sat patiently on one of the barstools where the bartenders happily brought her drink after drink. Terry and Theo were on either side, their decisions seeming to become regrettable as Susan stared at Adrian. Seamus brought another Witch’s Brew and visibly checked out Adrian. Ever since he and Dean had admitted their feelings towards one another, nothing was holding him back. Sure, he still fancied the hell out of Susan, but why couldn’t he like both boys and girls. “Oh for Merlin’s sake…”

            Susan turned her attention away from her crush as he was suddenly very absorbed in a kiss with Alicia. Her dormmates remained quiet, a breath of relief escaping from the both of them. Even though they hadn’t talked about, Terry and Theo both knew that they were interested in Susan. Now that her connections with Oliver and Seamus had ended, it was open season.

            To bad Susan wasn’t anywhere in their hunting range.

            “Fuck, I need to get laid, this is ridiculous.” Susan moaned in pain, taking a sip before letting her head lay on the bar top.

            “You called, I came.” As if the night couldn’t get worse, Marcus had appeared with perfect timing. “We can head out of here right now if you want.”

            Theo snorted at the Slytherin.

            “I’ve got to admit; our sexual tension is crazy. But I think I’d rather beat you up.” Susan lifted her head to study Marcus, giving him a dirty smile.

            Terry snorted at the Hufflepuff.

            The insult didn’t hurt Marcus whatsoever, only urging him to call down Dean for another drink. He sat next to Theo and turned their conversation to how their classes were going and his new position at the Ministry. He was a decent lad, Susan noted, despite what others said. Obviously, he had grown up. The music changed, song trailing song, and people came and left the four friends as they continued to chat.

            By the magic of Merlin, Susan’s night was flipped upside down when Adrian sauntered up to their area of the bar with Angelina by his side to get another drink. Neville went to crack a beer for Adrian, taking his time as they spoke around Terry. The moment passed and somehow Angelina wound up pulling Marcus to the dance floor – leaving Adrian alone.

            He didn’t seem too upset, giving Marcus the bird and laughed at the situation.

            “Well Bones, we both know you’re too nice for me,” Adrian joked, taking his drink from Neville. “But since you crushed us on the pitch today, I feel like I owe you a victory dance. Let’s go, yeah?”

            Terry and Theo blinked, only to realize that Susan had disappeared with Adrian.

            If Susan’s plan went ahead, they would be going home without any prize.

 

* * *

 

            Pansy would have been horrified if Harry had tried to do anything but dance with her when they first hit the floor. It would have been so out of character for the awkward hero that she wouldn’t be sure whether it was the real him. But, as she had predicted, she wore him down so that his hands were lower and that their bodies were closer. Harry managed to sing along to the remixed tunes and Pansy burst out with laughter every time he had to make up new lyrics because he didn’t know them. It was easy and definable, private and heated.

            He had lead her outside to where they shared a cigarette.

            A nasty habit that he had picked up after the war.

            Something that she had been doing since sixth year.

            Huddled together outside the club, under a streetlight, it was cold enough that Pansy could see Harry’s breath and Harry could see Pansy shiver. Truthfully though, it was worth it. She couldn’t remember what he said that made her laugh, and he couldn’t remember what she said that made him blush.

            “I hated you for the sake of hating you.” Pansy gushed, the cigarette dangling between her fingers. “It felt like it’s what I had to do, what I was meant to do.”

            “You were such a bitch, god, the absolute worst. I could take Malfoy’s consent childish bullying but you…you were just plain mean.” Harry chuckled lightly.

            “I don’t hate you anymore.” Pansy shrugged, holding the cigarette out so that Harry could take a drag from her hand. “In case you were wondering.”

            “You’re still mean. But I’m kind of into it. Less mean, more confident.” Harry moved delicately as he took a careful drag from the cigarette. He could feel his stubble brush against her skin and focused on her burgundy coloured nail polish so that he wouldn’t panic.

            Pansy dropped the stub onto the ground, putting it out with her foot as Harry straightened up. His hand sat on her waist and her eyes dipped to watch him. An older song had started to play, one that Pansy knew well as Susan often sang it at the top of her lungs in the shower. They made it to the dance floor but never actually started dancing.

            Harry had lost all sense of bravery and courage. But Pansy was more than happy to push them.

           

_Shook me all night long_

_Yeah you shook me all night long_

            With her lips pressed against his, Susan’s singing rang emptily.

                        

* * *

 

            “So, where did you guys end up last night?”

            It was a simply question with genuine curiosity from Hermione. She had arrived home first that night, hanging out with the boys in the living room until she became too tired. A few hours later was when Susan crawled in next to her. And Pansy didn’t show up until after the sun had rose.

            “Spent the night with Potter.” Pansy tugged the quilt up to her chin and continued to play footsies with Hermione even though she clearly wanted to discuss their adventures. Both Hermione and Susan gawped, prompting Hermione to even shout ‘I knew it!’ much to the displeasure of the hungover occupants. “No, fuck, chill out. We didn’t do anything.”

            Hermione’s eyebrows furrowed together, unnerved that she had been wrong.

            Susan bit her bottom lip, stirring her tea to stay out of the conversation.

            “We didn’t do anything in a good way. Just snogged. He invited me back to his place and we talked, and fell asleep together on his couch.” Pansy was at ease, stilling her movements to look at Hermione. Her frown had grown back into a small smile. She was happy that, once again, she was right, and that her two friends had connected. “We’re going out on a date on Monday. A real date. I’ve never gone on one of those before. Will you help me do one of those? What the hell do I do?”

            Hermione and Susan both agreed to help, even though they had hardly any experience in the subject themselves.

            “I went home with Adrian.” Susan sighed happily, throwing her arms up in an act of joy. “I know that he’s still hung up on you, Pans, but holy Merlin, I needed that last night. I considered for half a second going home with Marcus – I was _that_ horny.”

            “Are you going to see him again?” Hermione asked.

            “I’m not going to go out of my way to, but if I bump into him again I wouldn’t mind having another go.” Susan was very honest, cuddling against Hermione’s side for the lack of closeness she got after hooking up. Adrian was definitely not a cuddler and Susan had gone into the situation knowing that she wouldn’t be sleeping over. “What about you, Mi? Any fun?”

            “Now, now, you know I don’t kiss and tell.” Hermione chided her roommates.

            “Yes, but you don’t kiss either.” Pansy exasperated, judging her for not getting any action that night. “You had opportunities, I know that you did. Draco followed you like a puppy and Fred was eyeing you from the moment we arrived.”

            Hermione crossed her fingers against her chest to create an x, swearing that she hadn’t done anything with either boy. She had been on her best behaviour and came home with Michael, Draco and Terry to eat Chinese food that they had picked up. Neville and Theo weren’t too far behind, but Blaise had went to hookup with Patricia Stimpson.

            A small knock came from the door, but none of the girls moved to open it.

            “Come in!” Pansy shouted, cuddling deeper into the pillows. Theo popped his head into the frame. He was slow to fully step into the room as he took in the friends scooped together on the bed. Hermione was sitting up against the frame with Susan’s head in her lap and Pansy was squished amongst an unnecessary amount of pillows. Her voice was muffled. “What did you bring us, Nott?”

            Theo extended his palm to show three dosages of Legless Elixir and levitated a tray of three mugs behind him. “Two teas and a coffee, made to order. Plus, some real magic – the hangover cure.”

               Pansy sat up quickly, sending her fort of pillows flying in every direction, to reach for the tea and potion. She hummed contently and wiggled happily. Hermione graciously accepted her own mug and sipped it before taking the draught. Susan smiled as she sniffed the mug of coffee that Theo had brought her, half ignoring the Legless Elixir he passed.

            “When did you two get home?” Theo sat on the edge of the bed, his feet still on the ground but relaxed against Susan.

            “Around 4:30 in the morning.” Susan explained before taking a large gulp of her coffee.

            “About an hour ago.” Pansy shook her head, still confounded as to how her night had ended. Theo pretended to gasp at Pansy’s answer. _How scandalous._ “Bugger off, will you? At least I went home with someone. And no, Neville doesn’t count seeing how he had to tuck your sorry arse into bed.”

            Theo grunted in response. The noise made all three girls laugh.

            He pulled forwards though so that his whole body was on the girls’ bed and closed is eyes. He rested his head on Susan’s thighs and listened to the gossiping that started.

            “So proud of himself, I swear.” Hermione sniggered, remembering the event clearly. “Dean ran up to me last night and shouted ‘ **let me tell you about my boyfriend**!’ They’re so happy together, it’s really wonderful.”

            “And just a few weeks before Seamus was pinning after Red here.” Pansy reached over Hermione to give Susan a pet on her head.

            “Do you think they liked each other at Hogwarts?” Susan had allowed Theo to sit between her legs where she ran her hands through his head. Theo held a blissful expression, practically purring at Susan’s touch. “I mean, they were _always_ together.”

            “You know, you’re right.” Hermione pondered out loud, trying to recall the past seven years all at once. “I was always so busy with Harry and Ron and saving the world while also being the top student that I didn’t really notice.”

            “NEV.” Pansy bellowed out of nowhere, calling in a confused looking Neville. “Come. Sit. Answer.” He obliged, giving a blank stare to the three other Elites on the bed. “You shared a room with Dean and Seamus for a long bloody time. Did they ever…do anything?”

            “Well, I do know that they were each other’s first kisses. They wanted to get it out of the way. And then Dean became interested in girls and Seamus was Seamus – he didn’t start fancying Susan until seventh year. You know, Sue, when you became a badass. But when Ginny and Dean broke up, Seamus was the one that was there for him.” Neville rambled on, crawling onto the bed where he sat at the end cross-legged. Pansy nodded rhythmically, listening intently. “I guess…um, does anyone know where I was going with that?”

            Pansy blinked once before turning her attention to Hermione. “There’s your answer.”

            The conversation continued, friendly and loud. Michael didn’t bother knocking when he entered their room to see what all the fuss was about. He hopped into the middle of the group and prompted Hermione to place her feet on his lap so that he could give her a massage.

            “I vaguely remember bothering you last night, Nev. You were behind the bar…and I wanted a drink…but what did I say?” Theo, Hermione, Susan and Pansy all leaned in anticipation and Neville groaned. He obviously remembered what had been said. “Oh, right! ‘I’m here, I’m queer, now give me a beer!’ Merlin, I’m basically a poet.”

            “Yeah, and you gave Seamus and Dean a new life motto. So thanks for that.” Neville had Pansy twist and sit in front of him so that he could practice braiding hair. “By the way, Sue, Luna said that you can keep the shirt if you want to. I showed her a picture of you three last night and said it looked better on you than her.”

            “Ah, I’m glad she said that.” Susan laughed nervously. “It was torn last night and when I tried to repair it, the seam could be seen because I was drunk and doing magic.”

            “Torn? That’s brilliant. Adrian _ripped_ your shirt off?” Pansy raised her eyebrows excitedly, poking at Susan with a mischievous grin. “I forgot how dominate he was. Did he pull out the cuffs?”

            “Cuffs?” Theo, finally intrigued, spoke up.

            “The handcuffs? Yeah, he did. Like, dude, I want to get shagged, not arrested.” Susan joked, sending a wave of laughter across the pile of Elites. “Maybe next time though. Could be interesting.”

            The group quieted, tuned into Hermione recalling the story of when Arthur Weasley accidentally got stuck in pink, fuzzy Muggle handcuffs and was ecstatic because 'Muggles are such strange and interesting people'.

            “Here you all are!” Terry knocked lightly before coming into the room with Draco and Blaise following him. “Thought we were going crazy since none of you were around and its way past lunch.”

            Susan jolted upwards, throwing Theo in the process, and immediately started to gather her things. “Shit shit shit. I’ve got a shift in ten minutes.” Susan stumbled around as she slipped out of her sleeping shorts and sweatshirt to put on a pair of scrubs. It was the second time in less than twenty-four hours that she had basically stripped in front of all of her dormmates. Not that she could care, Pomfrey would freak if she was late. “Thanks Terry, you’re a lifesaver.”

            She was out of the house before anyone could say their goodbyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION: would you like me to attach links to my polyvore creations so that you can see what I envision for their outfits??


	12. All Time Low (I've been trying to fix my pride)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO! So I did a thing. If you go to my profile, you'll find several links to my Polyvore account where you can see what I see when I'm writing. I'm a very visual creature and I believe clothes really tell a story of their own. Take a look if you please :) Also, enjoy the chapter!

            Mondays were the bane of Pansy’s existence. The weekend was over and real life had to start.

            This Monday, however, Pansy listened to the sound of crunching leaves beneath her boots and Kira’s powerful wings fly circles around her head to launch herself into the sky. They had been cooped up in the castle for the whole day because of thesis work, studying and office hours, and clearly Kira had become just as restless as Pansy had. Sure, Kira was a dragon and needed to spread her wings, but Pansy had a date in a couple of hours and considered spreading her wings as well. Taking a walk around the perimeter of Hogwarts seemed like a nice escape – and Kira would be able to puff out as much fire and smoke as she wanted to.

            She watched the miniature dragon chase a buzzard that was at double Kira’s size. It was a new source of entertainment seeing how Kira saw herself as a big and mighty dragon, when in reality she could fit into Pansy’s palm. A brisk wind passed through the forest and sent a shiver down her spine, prompting Pansy to pull up the hood of her utility jacket and rub her mittens together for extra warmth. The first frost was in the air but hadn’t yet made its appearance.   

            When she originally left the dorm, it had been a mess. Susan and Draco were completely consumed in each other as they worked on their individual cures. Both felt that they were truly on the break of something big and needed as much support as possible. Hermione had been in her office hours with Theo and Michael. Neville was in the greenhouse, Blaise was in the library with a study group and Terry had been prepping for dinner.

            “Didn’t expect to find you out here, Pansy.”

            Luna’s whimsical voice drifted out of nowhere, catching Pansy off guard. The younger blonde held a big bucket of raw meat. The smell immediately caught Kira’s attention, drawing her away from chasing the bird and opted for an easier meal. Luna offered a slice to the tiny dragon, going as far to let Kira relax on her shoulder while chomping.

            “Needed some fresh air.” Pansy purses her lips, her eyes glancing over her opposite. Thin, taller, long blonde hair, a clean complexion, a beautiful personality; she could understand why Neville liked the girl. Maybe even loved her. “There’ a lot going on in my mind.”

            “Is it about Harry?” Luna tilted her head and offered to lead Pansy into the forest with her bucket of meat. Out of all things Pansy thought would happen that day, this wasn’t on the list. “Neville told me you have a date tonight. Are you excited?”

            “Yes. No. I don’t know.” Pansy stayed close to the odd woman as the light disappeared the farther they went down the makeshift path. “Mostly nervous.”

            Luna is silent as she tracing her way between the trees, the forest acting as another home for her. “You know, Pansy, Harry is a good man.”

            Pansy was well aware. That was the problem.

            “And you know, Pansy, you are a good woman.”

            The sound of a tree cracking under the pressure of wind and magic echoed around them.

            “Hermione told me you liked Neville for some time and I wanted to thank you for not getting mixed up into our relationship. They’re a tough thing to keep strong and pure, but it’s worth it. Neville is a good man too and I think I’m in love with him.”

            “I don’t mess with another woman’s man. I’m not my mother.” Pansy meant her comment to sound like a joke, but she sounded too tired for it to truly make an impact. “Hey Luna?” The forest widened and strands of light shone through the autumn’s leaves, a herd of lizard-like horses were gathered and excited. “Are those what I think they are?”

            “Thestrals.” Luna confirmed Pansy’s suspicions and handed a piece of raw meat to her. Pansy took off her mitt so that she can get closer to the magical creature, wanting to feel the horror that was in her heart against her skin. “They’re gentle and very smart.”

            “I’ve read all about them…and I guess that I forgot I would be able to see them now. After the battle.” Pansy managed to inch up to a large male, keeping an eye on the sharp fang that was reaching out to bite at the treat. “How long have you been able to see them?”

            “Since I was nine. My mother died in an experimental explosion.” Luna was completely at ease as she teased a young foal, even trying to teach the thestral to sit on command. “Do you want to join me out here every so often? I like to study them. I hope to be a Magizoologist after Hogwarts.”

            Pansy agreed, gasping as the thestral took the piece of meat from her hand and allowed her to not only pet the side of its neck, but also run her hand through its mane. “Thank you, Luna. We need people to be a lot more like you.”

            “No, no. We need people to be themselves.” Luna sighed, going forth to toss more of the meat to the rest of the herd which had been waiting patiently. “Like you, Pansy.”

 

* * *

 

 

            Susan had caught something from her shift on Sunday in the Hospital Wing.

            Either Flora Carrow had passed on pox.

            Or Kevin Whitby had passed on spattergroit

            Maybe even Malcom Baddock had passed on his case of ague.

            Draco reassured her it was probably just the common cold.

            Susan ignored him and continued to dramatically talk her upcoming death day.

            Even Susan’s upcoming death day didn’t stop the pair from working hard on their thesis projects that evening. Susan, having taken a dosage of Pepperup Potion, was curled up on the couch in a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt, matched with a comfy pair of slippers and even stole Blaise’s Slytherin beanie to keep her head warm. Neville was nice enough to offer her the companionship of Godric, his lion stuffie. She looked quite stupid, in Draco’s opinion, but when she offered to share her quilt with him, he couldn’t refuse. It would had been rude.

            Since Susan was apparently coming close to dying, they decided that they would not test anything that evening as she might not be strong enough to take it right or give it right. So instead they were bouncing ideas off of each other and focused on their weekly assignments.

            “So, you and Mi really didn’t do anything on Saturday?”

            Draco let ink drop off of his quill by accident at her inquiry. “No. Nothing.”

            “Alright, why not?”

            Draco put his quill down because Susan’s line of questioning was going to get aggressive. “She wants to be friends first. Like Weasley. I’m not a barbarian.”

            “Okay, so at this rate, you should be officially asking Hermione out by the year 2030?”

            Draco forced a dry laugh. She was right. “Will you be attending our wedding in the year 2089?”

            “Don’t be so inconsiderate, Draco. You know well enough that whatever I have now is going to kill me by the end of the week.” Susan’s light-hearted humour made his heart smile, it always did nowadays. She was like a ray of light in the house, not for spurting endless of optimism or a blindness to the truth, but for doing her best to see the brighter side. “I would say you’re friends. Not the kind of friendship she has with Harry, or Pansy, or even Fred. But that’s okay. Because friendship comes in different shapes and sizes, just like the people involved in the friendship do.”

            Susan was not only a ray of light, but a brilliant one at that.

            She flipped haphazardly through her copy of _Magical Theory_. Draco was quite sure she could recite the entire textbook seeing how many times she had read the damn thing. Susan was determined that her next step would be found in it – she had to know how the Dark Mark worked before she could properly remove it. The book was falling apart from the time she had spent with it for the past week or so, plus the seven years that she had been the owner. Pages were jagged and the cover had an undiscernible stain. The author’s name, Adalbert Waffling, had basically been rubbed off from her distracted reading habits.

            “I think Theo has a first edition.” Draco felt the spark in his brain ignite, picturing the ancient textbook that Theo had been so proud of in first year. While the rest of the class had been using the most current version of the work, Theo had proudly buried himself deep into the original print. “Might be worth a shot if you’re so bloody determined.”

            “Really?” Susan snapped her book closed loudly, ready to try something new. “And Hermione is close with Pince – like creepily close. She might be able to get you access to different material. Historical records that usually take months to process for students. Might be worth a shot if you’re prepared to step your game up. Or someone else will be.”

            Draco shut his book just as loudly as Susan had, standing quickly to let the quilt drop to the floor. “They’re in the office. Want to take a walk?”

            Susan stood up as well, looking at the quilt sadly. She didn’t move until Draco bent down to fold it properly. Then she moved so fast Draco was positive Susan would be attending Malfoy/Granger wedding in 2089.

 

* * *

           

            “Thanks again, Hermione.” Stewart Ackerley blushed madly as he reached to shake Hermione’s hand across the table. She had just spent almost an hour with the young boy, helping him gain confidence with his transfiguration. The poor child was a nervous wreck, before and after the war, but had been visiting the Elites’ office hours since they had started. Stewart had admitted to Terry one day after a meeting that he felt that all the Elites were incredibly intelligent and brave and skilled and that he hoped to be just as good as them one day. “I think this quiz will go well.”

            “I _know_ that your quiz will go well.” Hermione waved him off and recorded the details of their meeting in the logbook, listening to Theo as he bid James Tuckett goodbye as well. Theo had struggled through an astronomy lesson with the young student for over an hour. At the end though, James was smiling and Theo was cheering. Michael was still hard at work with Astoria Greengrass as they worked on an herbology assignment together. “Do we have more tea?”

            “Kettle is still warm.” Theo nodded from his desk, motioning to the enchanted cabinet that held snacks for the students. “Mind pouring me some? I’m losing my voice after that. He’s a good kid but it’s hard to keep his attention. And starcharts are confusing enough as it is without James asking a question every other page.”

            Hermione shuffled to the cabinet, pouring a mug for herself and Theo, and quietly went to fill up Michael’s as well. Instead of retreating back to her desk, Hermione sat across from Theo and leaned on her elbows. “I finally got Ron’s gift in the mail. He sent me this scarf.” She brought his attention to the black scarf that was wrapped loosely around her neck. It looked plain enough and went well with her burgundy sweater-dress and stockings. “He enchanted it with a variation of Armortentia. Less of a love potion, more of a deodorant. His brothers helped develop it so that you still smell the things that attract you but without the caution of inhaling too much.”

            “Is that why I can smell fresh coffee, apple pie and rain?” Theo smacked his forehead. He thought he had been going crazy. “I remember that lesson in sixth year, where we brewed it.”

            “I’ve been with the smell of parchment, freshly mown grass and cinnamon all day. Ron was over a month late, but it was worth it.” Hermione nuzzled against the scarf, taking another breath with relief.

            “A month?” Theo felt his mouth go dry and his stomach drop. “Hermione, we never celebrate your birthday.” Hermione swatted away his bad feelings, still consumed by her new gift. “Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck! We never celebrated Blaise’s birthday! How the hell did this happen? I can’t believe he hasn’t murdered Draco and I for forgetting.”

            Hermione can’t help but grin. Theo’s panic was sweet. It was a sign that they were all really friends and wanted to know about each other. He drummed his fingers against his desk and took a swig of his tea, uneasy with the situation. Hermione went on to start a charms essay while Theo was having an internal battle of how he wanted to proceed, with Michael finishing up his tutoring session.

            “You think Terry finished dinner yet?” Michael asked from across the room, tidying up his workspace. “I’m right starving and he said he would make ham and tomato quesadillas.”

            “It’s just about time.” Hermione scooted back to her desk and began to pack up. A light knock on the office door paused the Elites in their process. Thankfully, it wasn’t another student look for help – but their housemates. “What’s going on, Sue?”

            “I’ve heard Theo has an original copy of Adalbert Waffling’s _Magical Theory_. Additional notes included along with an extended prologue and author’s note section.” Susan drifted past Hermione and Michael without a glance, her voice high with a sense of urgency. “Is it true.”

            “It’s true, he does. It’s also signed.” Theo looked over Susan’s shoulder to pass a look to Draco.

            Susan’s voice went from urgent to desperate. “Please, please, Theo. I’m begging you. I need to borrow that book. Please. I’ll do anything.”

            Draco gave a big thumbs up behind Susan’s back so that Theo, Hermione and Michael could see it. Definitely Slytherin, Draco was a cunning and loyal friend. “Of course, but I don’t really need anything right now. Can I take an IOU?”

            With the shriek that escaped from Susan, followed by happy jumping, he found his answer.

            “Cute slippers, by the way.” Hermione had turned sour after Susan ignored her. “They look very familiar.”

            “Oh, Hermione, can I borrow your slippers? Thanks.” Susan stopped midjump and tossed a sheepish smile to her roommate. “Halo thought mine were meant to be chewed on.”

            Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes, unable to stay upset with her friend. “We’re just about to walk back to the dorm.” She motioned for everyone to leave the office so that she could shut it down for the day. The candles went out and Hermione locked the door with a wave of her wand. Susan walked in between Michael and Theo, chattering excitedly about the book while also filling them in on how she’s basically on her deathbed thanks to her shift. “And you walked all the way here just to keep Sue company?”

            Draco let out a huff of air, a chuckle of sorts. “Actually, I wanted to ask for a favour from you.”

            “Did I hear that correctly? The _great_ Draco Malfoy needs _my_ help?” Hermione scoffed, pretending to be overwhelmed by the gesture and request by fanning herself.

            Draco blinked once. “You think I’m great?”

            “It’s an expression.” Hermione nudged his side, doubling her strides so that she could keep up with his longer form. “But yes. What can I do for you?”

            “Any chance you can hook me up with a Pince Pace for the unchartered documents in the back…” Draco barred his teeth in a gigantic grin for one second, quickly dropping it into a pout and puppy dog eyes. It was a sight that Hermione never thought she would see. It almost made her uncomfortable.

            “We could go after dinner? If you’re free, that is.” Hermione turned the final corner with the group, only a few feet away from the entrance mirror. “I’ve got a spare key for the back rows. It won’t be a problem.”

            “Merlin! I could kiss you right now!” Draco’s chest rose and fell, stress and anticipation rolling off of his shoulders. Hermione raised her eyebrow at Draco but didn’t question his expression. “You know what, I’m going to kiss you right now!”

            Susan, Theo and Michael had all made it into the dorm by the time Draco smacked his lips against hers. It wasn’t anything like the first time and it wasn’t anything like how she believed their second kiss would go. No passion, nor lust, nor teasing. Simply a way to show how happy and grateful he was to her.

            “Get off me, you werido.” Hermione laughed, engulfed in a hug afterwards. “Honestly, I always pictured you as more of a cat, but you’ve clearly got some puppy in you. And obviously I would help you, you’re my friend. Did you ever doubt it?”

 

* * *

 

            Pansy showed up halfway through dinner, caught up in the battle between Blaise and Susan as they argued about the Loch Ness Monster. She jumped right in, adding her two cents on the matter while taking a bite from Draco’s quesadilla. In a few minutes she would be Flooing to Harry’s, and had asked her not to eat too much before.

            “Maybe he’s going to cook?” Terry pondered when she relayed the request.

            “He is actually quite good. Learned when he was a kid.” Hermione backed up Terry’s guess.

            “Merlin, if you order more Chinese food, can you bring back some spring rolls?” Neville asked with his mouth full of food.

            “Go get ready or you’ll be late.” Susan sang, disrupting the rest of the table.

            Draco scuffed his seat back and followed Pansy into the bedroom, and then the closet. He studied her while leaning against the doorway and she brushed through the outfit choices. “You’re nervous.”

            “Yeah.” For once in her life, Pansy didn’t feel like she had to be strong.

            Draco moved in and began to sort through the jewelry box that he recognized to be hers. He knew what she should wear, pulling out an emerald pendant. A family heirloom. It always looked stunning on her and Pansy’s confidence soared while she wore it – she felt proud in it.

            “Good.” He was glad she was nervous. “That means you’re ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have the entire timeline written out now for the plot. I'm aiming to have this story go on for one year - including the summer and an epilogue. We'll see if that actually happens, eh?  
> Remember to leave Kudos and comments because I thrive on attention!!!!


	13. Your Song (no fear but I think I'm falling)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to be cute?? I tried.

          Susan continued to complain about feeling sick, but when dinner had finished she started to show real signs of being under the weather. She had paled and started to tremble – nothing but a cold, but she was still getting sick nonetheless. As Pansy shot through the Floo, the last thing she shouted was that if Susan got the rest of the house sick, she would kill her.

            “That hospital wing is always full of bugs, I’m not surprised if you did pick up something.” Hermione made sure to stay as far away from her roommate as possible. Susan had curled up into her own bed while Hermione jumped into the shower. While throwing on pyjamas in the closet, Hermione gave her condolences. “If you need anything, I’ll be in the library with Malfoy. We might be in there for a while.”

            The door closed behind Hermione, leaving Susan alone in the darkness. She could hear the humming of her other housemates in the shared spaces. Neville was probably visiting Luna. Terry was probably reading. Blaise and Michael were probably playing a heated game of chess. And Theo was probably-

            Knocking on her door apparently. “Can I come in, Sue?”

            Susan gave a loud reply, in need of the company. “Don’t come too close though. The Pepperup Position hasn’t taken full affect yet so I might still be contagious.”

            “I was wondering if you wanted me to run you a bath?”

            That was a little out of the left field. Theo didn’t wait for a proper response, taking her calm quietness as a yes. Susan stayed in bed and could hear the water being run, the dipping of his hand as he felt the warmth of the water and a few spells were cast for comfort. Less steam, a cool breeze, dimming the lights. He had completely transformed the bathroom and was ready for Susan to join him.

            “Why are you doing this?” Susan stopped in the doorway, still wrapped up in her sweatpants and long sleeve shirt. Her hair was sticking to her neck with sweat and the world was out of focus.

            “It’s a detox bath.” Theo turned around and closed his eyes for her privacy, the sound of her getting undressed ringing in his ears. “Epsom salt, baking soda, ginger and I added lavender. It helps you when you’re sick. Sweats out sickness and relaxes muscles.”

            Susan was careful to slip into the bath. She monitored the candles that Theo had lit around the edges of the tub and avoided the multiple faucets. He had charmed the water to be opaque to add privacy. The lavender he had used also tinted the water to mimic the colour beautiful. Susan’s hum of approval told Theo to turn around and settle in next to her on a stool.

            “I didn’t ask what it was. I asked why you did it.” With her eyes closed, Susan sunk into the tub and concentrated on the feeling of the slow current he had conjured. It was if the bathwater was giving her a massage for her achy muscles and bones.

            “Because I don’t think you’re actually sick.” Her eyes flashed open to judge Theo cruelly. “No, I mean, you’ve been in that hospital wing for over a month and have been exposed to much worse. I think you’ve been experiencing a minor anxiety attack all day. Mental health can be represented in many different ways.”

            Susan was silent, forcing herself to sniffle as if the head-cold she had was still present. “Who died and made you doctor?”

            “I don’t go to the counsellor. But I do go to the library.” Theo mumbled, knowing that he had crossed a line. “Pansy told me you hardly sleep. Hermione let it slip that you take a calming draught every day.”

            “I can’t believe she told you that. That was supposed to be a _secret_.” Susan’s eyebrows furrowed together and her chest raised with a scream stuck in her throat.

            Theo reached behind him and shook a container of hair conditioner. He must had figured out it was Susan’s somehow and asked her to dunk under momentarily so that she could wet her hair for him. Susan, though sour, did as he asked. She popped back up and settled against the wall so that Theo could begin massaging the product into her scalp. The moan that brushed off of her lips would have been embarrassing if Susan had any shame of comfort.  

            “They’re addictive. You know that. Hermione just wanted us to be aware…just in case.” Theo’s voice dropped an octave, adding to the peaceful treatment. “I know that you aren’t going to the counsellor, but are you doing anything? We’re all kind of fucked up and need help. I do a lot of research and I have started keeping a journal. It felt so stupid at first but, I get to read back and review my progress. It makes me more observant. I let my counsellor read over each entry for my health.”

            “I went once. I kind of broke down. Cried a bunch. They kept prodding, wanting to know what’s wrong with me. And nothing is wrong with me.” Susan spoke as if she was trying to convince herself more so than Theo. Her voice trembled alongside her hands as she gripped against the bath’s edged. “Asked if I wanted to talk about _it_.”

            “Do you want to talk about it? Talk about how you’re feeling?”

            Susan twisted an inch, tilting her neck so that Theo could run his ringers through the thicker part of her curls. “It’s not just _one_ thing. _It_ can’t be summed up.”

            “We’ve both recognized that no one died and made me doctor, but we can both agree that I’m your friend. So, why don’t you talk to me about it? Not _it_ , but what today means to you. Obviously today is different than others. Why?”

            “She would have turned seven today.”

            The moment that was stolen from the pair seemed to last forever. Susan could hear the flickering of the candles, the sound of owls flying outside the window and Blaise shouting at Neville about Merlin only knows what.

            “Alice. One of my cousins.”

            Theo continued to rub his fingers through her hair, the conditioner emitting a vanilla scent that went well with the lavender bath. His silence showed that he was listening.

            “I remember a time when I was babysitting her and her brothers and sister one day, and she started wailing. Picture moaning Myrtle. It was bad and when I asked her what was wrong, Alice said that her younger brother ate her best friend.” Susan cracked a smile, the first all day. “Turns out her brother ate a worm. Those kids are the reason my hair will turn grey by the time I’m forty.”

            “Kids are so weird. When I was little, I used to randomly take my pants off. Specifically when my parents had their friends over.” Theo chuckled at his own memory. Susan cackled in the most unfeminine way possible. “I’m dead serious. I thought my willy was wonderful and that everyone should be blessed enough to see it.”

            Susan began to laugh so much that she had to push forward and cup her face. Theo laughed at her laughing, trying to explain that he didn’t feel that way anymore, but Susan wasn’t having it.

            “What a quality story, Nott. I will be telling this story to your future wife. You know, as a warning.” It had come to the point where Susan had to rub her eyes to dry the tears that were sliding down her cheeks. It was all too much. “Thank you. For this.” Her gratefulness was simply, encouraging her to turn and place a hand on Theo’s to give it a squeeze. She hadn’t realized that she needed this. “I’ll stop taking the calming draught. I needed more and more when Draco began his thesis, but you know you’re right. It’s dangerous. I just don’t know what else to do.”

            “We can figure it out. Muggles have been dealing with this kind of thing for centuries. They really are brilliant people.” Theo squeezed back, his hands slick with the conditioner. “What if you wrote a letter to Alice? That’s what you would have done if she were celebrating today. A birthday-card.”

            She understood. It made sense. He was right.

            “Will you help?”

            Theo leaned forward and gave Susan a quick peck to her forehead, solidifying her plan.

            “And will you stay with me?”

            Pansy had her date with Harry and Hermione was in the library with Draco. She would be alone.

            Theo let Susan dunk her head under the water once again to rinse it of the conditioner, and let turned so that she could get changed into the pyjamas he had laid out for her. The ginger supplement in the bath would make her sweat for another hour or so, so he wanted her to be comfortable. A matching set of underwear and bra that she admitted to loving, a pair of the thickest socks he could find, and his flannel plaid sleeping shirt. Theo could feel his heart drop when he opened his eyes.

            “As long as you need me to.”

                       

* * *

 

            _Let us save what remains: not by vaults and locks which fence them from the public eye and use in consigning them to the waste of time, but by such a multiplication of copies, as shall place them beyond the reach of accident._

            Watching Draco feverishly wade through hundreds of documents reminded Hermione of the Thomas Jefferson quote. Her father had always been oddly interested in American politics, so growing up often involved fun facts and rushed opinions. Jefferson had the right idea when it came to libraries however, hosting the past, present and future for all generations was a special and beautiful thing.

            Two parents who were both dentists offered a very easy childhood. Hermione never wondered where her next meal was going to come from or if they would celebrate Christmas that year. She had been spoiled, both physically and emotionally. Most importantly though, mentally. Her parents continually stimulated her while she was young. Sending her to the best schools, buying her as many books as she could manage, going on field trips for cultural opportunities. Having visited the Burrow, Hermione was reminded just how lucky she was.

            One aspect of her life often surrounded being alone. Parents working full time, no siblings, and friends were a rare occurrence. So, to find some socialization, Hermione spent as much time in the local library as possible. There was able to watch and learn from others, made quiet conversation with the employees and regulars, and found that she enjoyed books even more so when the book showed it had been loved by others. The fraying of pages, the smeared ink, the backcards that read dates and names as if the list never ended.

            “Did you hear me, Hermione?”

            She was pulled out of her memories when Draco called a second time. He was standing only a few feet away with a stack of documents in his hands, a look of concern as he glanced at her. Hermione shook her head, honest that she had drifted off into thought.

            “I asked if you could give me a hand, giving these a look over to make sure they’re relevant for my work.” Draco nudged forward, dropping the pile onto the floor where he flopped down in front of her. He didn’t really seem to be giving her a choice as he tugged at her sweater to join him on the carpeted rug in the dark back office. Draco had cast a _lumos_ when they first entered the backroom and had set to work immediately, his hair now out of place and concentration etched into his silver eyes. “Looking for cases on mental health focused on magical-beings. Wizards, witches, and every other species that can control their powers.”

            Hermione already knew what he would be looking for, as Draco was constantly working on his thesis. She had spent a great deal of time working out her theory base and now only needed to put the spell into process – her favourite part. The practical side to magic.

            Together they flipped through the stack, scanning over the ink and pictures with precision.

            Time passed by far quicker than either expected. By the end of the pile, they had sorted all of the contents into usefulness. Hermione had started to put the dead-ends back into the drawers as Draco micromanaged the documents he was keeping.

            “I didn’t see you after the appointment today.”

            Once again Draco had thrown her out of an empty mind.

            “I left quickly.” Hermione explained, the last of the documents now sealed away, she sat back down on the ground and watched as Draco bite his bottom lip. “I didn’t know we were waiting for each other.”

            “Just wanted to know how it went is all.”

            “It was fine.”

            “Alright then. Good.”

            “And yours?”

            Hermione could see the stress building in his spine, with her question causing him to sit up straight and stare at her harshly. His expression melted into a pained smile when he noted her sincerity. “It was fine.” Draco could see the spark light within her. “Okay, fine, it wasn’t fine. But I’m glad I went. I booked another appointment for next week.”

            Her spark turned into a flame, the fire creating a grin. Hermione was proud of him. “I did too.”

            “So, who’s Tommy?” Draco curiously motioned to Hermione’s sweater. He wanted to change the topic before they started talking about their feelings and shite. The sweatshirt was red with blue writing and Draco had seen Hermione wear it frequently. Almost as much as she wore Potter’s damned Quidditch jersey.

            Hermione’s grin dropped into a smirk. “A Muggle clothing designer. He’s quite popular right now, makes really nice jeans.” Draco nodded a sort of approval, now collecting the documents to bring back to their dorm. “Do you even wear pyjamas? Or comfortable clothing? I always see you so put together.”

            “Is that your way of saying I look great?” Draco teased, straightening his white dress shirt reassuringly. Hermione snorted loudly – a clear response. “I’m only joking, Granger. Image is a big deal for my family. I’ve always had to look my best because Malfoys are the best.” A beat passed. “Malfoys were the best. I mean, fuck. I don’t know.”

            “Pansy said that your mother is helping her run the Parkinson business so that she can focus on her schooling. That’s very nice of her.” Hermione let the topic drop, still not moving to get up. Draco was just as happy to stay seated on the library floor, only inches away from Hermione, for as long as possible. She looked peaceful in her Tommy sweater, sleeping shorts and a pair of ruined flipflops. She looked nice.

            “Mum has always loved Pans, treats her like a daughter. And my mum isn’t just a pretty face. She gets shit done.” Draco hadn’t outwardly praised his mother in months and the sentiment felt foreign. “Good lady who got caught up in some bad stuff.”

            It caused Hermione to titter, taunting him. A momma’s boy.

            Draco didn’t mind though. He was happy enough just to make her laugh.

            “How is she doing, really?”

            “She’s managing. The Manor is big for one person. Not to mention it has evil magic in the air.”

            Hermione raised an eyebrow, the statement reminder of one that she had heard not too long ago. “Harry had a hard time adjusting to the Black Manor when he first moved in. Even with Teddy visiting, it held a lot of bad memories. So, we completely redid it. And you saw it, it’s a new home. Would your mother ever want to change the Manor, cleanse it? She could always move too.”

            “A fresh start.” Draco felt lighter at the idea. “I’ll write her.”

            Draco stood up, extending his hand to help Hermione to her feet.

            They closed and locked the library, leaving a note for Pince to let her know of their doings.

            On their way back to the house, the Prefects were finishing up their last round of the night. As scripted, the little Ravenclaw fifth year and Slytherin seventh year recited the rules until they realized that Hermione and Draco were Elites. Their apologies were silly and unneeded. They darted past the pair, laughing.

            The Slytherin boy turned at the last moment, almost out of hearing range and held the slyest smile. “Gettin’ lucky tonight, Malfoy? We’ve all heard down in the dungeon that you’ve been running dry since term started.”

            “Ignore Harper,” Draco commented to Hermione, ushering her to keep walking away. “He’s always been an idiot.”

            Hermione attempted to crane her neck to watch the Prefects disappear but was pushed by Draco haphazardly in the opposite direction. “He’s not a total idiot.”

            Bravery and stupidity came as a package deal for most Gryffindors, and Hermione was no exception. She was badass and crazy and daring. And that’s what, she decided, made her boldly kiss Draco Malfoy in the middle of an empty hallway.

            He responded, and he was just as committed as he had been the first time they kissed. His lips were a little chapped from the sun, the skin on his chin just beginning to prickle. The smell of cinnamon and sandalwood filling her head. Draco made a small sound in the back of his throat, almost a growl. He pressed himself closer to her and grazed his hands at the end of her sweater. Hermione could barely feel his hands through the layers of fabric, her stomach twisting as she yearned for more of his touch. Though he didn’t need the help, she shifted his fingers to run just under the soft cotton material. Encouraging him to explore. It felt good, right even.

 

* * *

 

            “I swear to Merlin, Harry, that’s a death machine.”

            Pansy refused to take another step towards the torture contraption.

            “A Ferris wheel isn’t a death machine. Look, Pans, little kids are on it.” Harry pointed out the laughing group of middle school aged friends, running towards the spinning wheel of demise. All smiles and high from the huge amount of sugar they had inhaled. The magical sugar that was spun into twin and then melted on the tip of her tongue. Oh, she could still taste the bubble-gum cloud. Harry was right about the cotton candy, so there was a tiny chance he would be right about the windmill of soon-to-be corpses. “You liked the bumper cars, remember?”

            Damn. He was also right about that too.

            “I hope you know that if I die while on this ride, you’re the first person I’m haunting.” Pansy agreed, forcing herself to step towards the lineup.

            “I’m so flattered.”

            For the first time all night, Harry held her hand.

            He had surprised her with the date idea. Apparently, he wasn’t a dinner-date kind of guy. He wanted to try as many new things, and he wanted to try them with people that he admired. A Muggle fall fair was something that he had never one and was on his list. It started by eating candy apples, then a game involving throwing a ball at some milk bottles (Pansy won), meeting some prize-winning chickens, a round of Skee-Ball (Harry won), eating fairy floss and finally moved onto some rides. The whirly one, the upside down one, the swinging one, the bumper cars (a favourite of Pansy’s), and now the Ferris wheel.

            As they moved up the line, Pansy watched in amazement as the seats rose up with the bright flashing lights and chains. No magic, and yet Muggles were superior in many ways. But apparently not with safety. They were next to get onto the ride and Pansy’s eyes widened in horror. The only thing keeping them from dropping to their death was a bar that they pulled down.

            “You’re messing with me, Potter.” It all happened so quickly. She was already seated and in the sky by the time she found her voice again. “This is not happening right now.”

            “You’re not scared, are you?” Harry joshed, elbowing her lightly before putting his arm around her shoulders. Pansy, obviously insulted that he would consider her to be scared whatsoever, scoffed angrily. “Will you at least open your eyes?”

            She hadn’t realized she had shut them.

            Merlin, she felt ridiculous.

            It took all of her pride to pry open her eyes.

            The sight was stunning.

            Different than a broom ride. Those were filled with adrenaline and speed, but the Ferris wheel was rhythmic and tranquil. The little town in front of them glowed from the distance, the fair’s sounds were tuned out and the only thing Pansy could focus on was Harry’s arm resting on her shoulders.

            “Have I told you that you look beautiful tonight?”

            Sure, she looked great. A grey high neck, long sleeve knit dress that belonged to Hermione and a dark jean jacket that belonged to Susan. She wore black ankle boots that were a blessing in disguise, seeing how she didn’t know how much walking would be involved that night.

            And her necklace sparkled.

            “Yes,” Pansy did her best to not blush, hiding the feeling with a smirk. “But I would love to hear it again.”

            Harry had his own tinge of a blush. But he wasn’t about to hide the feeling. “Incomparable.”

            The kiss was sweet, unexpectedly and gloriously sweet. She supposed, that if they had been in a movie, angels would have been singing in the background. Sweetness matched with sweetness; the thought made it all the more unusual. It was something she had never been apart of before. 

            Their snogging from Saturday had been hasty and unpredictable, both wanting something that wasn’t within their grasps.

            Tonight, that something was held between them.   

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey??? :)


	14. All Night (no sleep, cause I feel like I'm always dreaming)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, hello!  
> Sorry for disappearing. I had graduated university and landed my first job. It's been almost two months in this position and I'm beginning to feel like I have a hand on it - which means I have time to be by myself again. I hope everyone is doing well and I wanted to welcome all of the new readers!!  
> I absolutely love comments and kudos and everything!  
> Have a wonderful day and enjoy :)

     There were a few reasons why Susan considered Hannah to be an absolute angel, one being her ability to make Seamus and Dean crack under pressure. All it took was one letter to her dear friend to make the entire club change its current lineup to fit the needs of an absolutely incredible party. Hermione and Blaise wouldn’t know what was about to hit them – especially since both think that it’s for the other.

            All week Susan had been popping in and out of the castle to visit the Leaky Cauldron, making sure everything was in order. Dean had gone above and beyond when he revealed to Susan the painting-spell he had created as a hobby. Not only would it show up clearly on the colour black but would also only stick to cloth materials. If the paint made contact with the skin or hair, it could be washed off easily, but left a work of art on the clothing. Seamus managed to charm a cake explode with sparkles, glitter and the odd firework once the candles were blown out. The cake would be the final piece of the night, covering the wet paint to add a shine to the newly decorated clothing. Hannah, bless the girl, kept her two co-workers on the right path while Susan was at school.

            The night had come and now the nine were seated together in a casual but contemporary pub to have some dinner. Both Blaise and Hermione were told that they would go out to dinner and then surprise the other at the Leaky Cauldron later that night with a big party thrown by their friends. Susan, and the rest of the Elites, were practically giddy by how well things were going.

            Theo raised his hand to catch their waiter’s attention, calling for another pitcher of beer to share. Drinks had been shared and everyone feasted on the delicious fish and chips they had been craving recently. Shockingly, everyone had managed to dress inconspicuously in black for the paint party at the club later, and didn’t raise any suspicious when they cornered Hermione and Blaise into wearing black as well.

            Pansy was gushing to Hermione about the night before, expressing her adoration for the second date Harry had planned. He taught her how to ride a bike and she took him to her family’s developing studio. The Parkinsons were the creators of magical moving photographs and now that she was in charge of the business, it continued to research the topic.

            Terry was attempting to throw chips into Draco’s open mouth, the two taking a drink every time he caught one. Blaise and Michael were in a deep conversation about the latest broom prototype that was released. Susan kept sneaking glances at the wall clock while listening to Neville and Theo chat about the recent growth of the UN.

            “Do you guys mind if we stop at the Leaky before heading home tonight? I have to pick up something from Hannah.” Susan gave her cue to the table; the surprise part being initiated. “I promise it’ll be quick.”

                “Not a problem, B.” Blaise nodded in agreement, and then sent a secretive wink to her. Hermione smirked from her side. It was ridiculous to think that both idiots knew what was really going on. “Wanna head out now?”

            Draco was quick to close the bill with Terry’s help, and once the rest of the beer was drunken, the friends headed out. It took some serious coordinating, but the group managed to have Hermione and Blaise lead the way into the club. The building was silent, an odd occurrence on a Saturday night, but both birthday kids knew about the surprise in a different aspect.

            Once they entered the lobby area, over one hundred of their friends and family cheered and sang with a large banner dictating the true reason for the party. Pansy began to cry with laughter as Blaise and Hermione had turned in sync to wish the other a happy birthday. Their faces were priceless and together they turned again to look for an explanation among their dormmates.

            Harry and Ron appeared, pulling Hermione into a tight hug while Blaise was happy to see both his mother and Pucey amongst the crowd. The party was filled with all ages, everyone dressed in black attire for the evening. Hannah was quick to take the DJ stage and start the music.

            “Alright, alright, you can have them back in a bit.” Michael grabbed the back of both Blaise’s and Hermione’s elbows to drag them away from the crowd surrounding them. “We’ve got some awesome gifts to make up for how shitty we are as your friends.”

            Though both Hermione and Blaise initially refuted the comment, Blaise let out a dramatic sigh as the presents were placed on the table as if they had been right all along. He really did deserve the gifts. And Hermione was quick to notice a card on top of her pile and ripped it open without a second complaint. Shania Twain tickets for her concert in Miami. JRR Tolkien’s book set, the complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales, a snow globe of Hogwarts, a beautiful oil painting of Starry Night over the castle, her favourite childhood toy Snowflake – the My Little Pony, a bright red velvet holiday cape, and a Gryffindor engraved leather-bound journal. Blaise had even less concern while opening his gifts. He revealed a new wand sheath, a rare tarot card set, a levitating bonsai tree, and a storm glass in the amount of time it took Hermione to get through her first two presents. Blaise mimicked a child on Christmas, his eyes growing to a cartoonish size when he unwrapped a Dolce and Gabbana sweater, a copy of Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a magical globe that was charmed to enlarge different areas when he touched the countries, and finally, a Chocolate Frog Card signed by Joscelind Wadcock.

            “ _Alpas_. It was my SAT prep word of the day a few weeks ago.” Susan cupped Hermione’s cheeks, her fingertips light and cold. Hermione could feel the tickle of Susan’s breath against her eyelashes and the brightness of her smile lit up the darkened bar. “Do you remember what the definition was?”

            “Verb. Originated from the Philippines. To become free, loose, untied.” Hermione recited haughtly.

            Susan gave a wink, her eyes glittering. “Keep that in mind tonight.”

            Hermione was whisked away from Susan as the music grew louder, Blaise tugging her into the centre of the party. A first dance, he cheered. Blaise adored attention and thankfully Hermione adored Blaise.

 

* * *

 

            Pansy had never been to a paint party before. In fact, she had never been to a themed party before. They weren’t really heard of in the wizarding community. But shit, this was way more fun than she was expecting. As Blaise twirled Hermione on the dance floor paint was tossed from every direction, drenching the pair in bright blues, oranges and greens. Shots were handed out of the same colour for the festivities.

            The song transitioned, Hannah cranking up the music to get everyone in the right mood. People littered onto the dance floor to join the birthday kids. Pansy watched as Harry swooped in to surprise Hermione, her jaw dropped as he dipped her in sync. Next to them, Luna breezed in next to Blaise, giving him a curtsey before slapping her hand against his butt – a pink paint mark glowed in the flashing lights. And her grin stole the show.

            It was a miracle that they had dressed Hermione so well for the event without her knowing. The simple black slip dressed had been paired with a nice pair of heels for dinner, but during the presents Pansy had revealed that she had brought along Hermione’s sneakers for the night of dancing ahead. On the stand next to Hannah jumped Susan, her black t-shirt dress dazzled with tiny diamonds patterned throughout it. She was obviously belting out the lyrics to whatever song was being played, but the room was so loud that no one was able to hear how off-key she was. Her combat boots stomped along with the beat and the tendrils of her curls swaying hypnotically.

            “You look lovely.”

            She had grown used to the feeling of Harry’s hand on her hip. He wasn’t the tallest or the strongest of men, but he held an overwhelming sense of calmness and power. A happy feeling. He was the happiest he had ever been.

            “I know.” Pansy retorted, leaning to give Harry’s cheek a quick peck. “Do you think everyone is having fun?”

            “Are you having fun?” Harry replied.

            Pansy watched the crowd curiously. Hermione was attempting to copy Neville’s wild and wacky dance moves. Susan had somehow ended up on Ron’s shoulders, the pair of gingers splattering paint as he strutted around the dance floor. The rest of her friends…Pansy, paused in her line of thought. Friends. Pansy had friends. More than one, more than Draco. More than those her family set in front of her. Pansy had made friends. It was a happy feeling.

            And there, by her side was someone she couldn’t imagine not ever knowing.

            Pansy twirled her wand, tapping it against her chin as she pretended to think. With a flash, she shot out a streak of green and silver all over Harry. It streaked down his black t-shirt and dripped to the ground as the excess ran. Amongst the mess, Pansy placed a long kiss on the chest pocket to create a stamp.

            “Now I am.”

 

* * *

 

            Pansy jolted wake as she was frightened in her dream.

            The sun was high through the girls’ windows and her roommates moved noisily in the common rooms. Looking over to the empty beds next to hers, Pansy realized that she had slept in more than she thought was possible. Hermione would be at a birthday brunch with her parents and Susan was off doing Merlin only knows what.

            She could only recall blurry memories from the night before, except for the journey back to Hogwarts. Coming home was clear as day. In fact, if Pansy remembered correctly, she definitely shouldn’t be alone currently.  

            Where was Harry?

            Throwing on a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt, Pansy waddled out in the common area in fluffy socks. There was some yelling coming from the kitchen, and she could hear one of the boys tickling Susan. Her high pitch cackle of a laugh was recognizable even to the deaf. Michael sang along to the radio quietly, working on a paper in the study section by the bedrooms. Her gave her a small smile but ultimately ignored her as he focused on the homework. In the kitchen, Neville and Luna were giggling as they pulled together baking ingredients. Treats for the Nifflers, Luna explained. Terry, Theo and Blaise were the ones shouting, not aware to their volume level. Instead of trying to decipher their argument, Pansy wandered into the living room.

            Sitting cross legged in front of the fireplace was Susan, her face bright red from exhaustion and laughter. Draco was lounging on the couch in front of her and Harry sat next to him with his feet up on the coffee table in a relaxing manner.

            His hair looked stupid and his glasses were a bit crooked from probably sleeping with them on. He was still wearing the paint covered t-shirt from the party and looked at peace in his boxers. A cup of tea was held firm in his hands and an empty plate was at his side with toast crumbs. A cheerful grin was plastered on his lips and his eyes had a unique lightness to them that Pansy had never seen before.

            “See? I told you she needed her beauty sleep. If she doesn’t get enough, she comes out looking like this for the rest of the day.” Susan teased, motioning to Pansy’s own discord. She probably matched Harry in a disorganized fashion. “You're lucky I spent most of the night with Adrian and Hermione was busy with her adoring fans until the crack of dawn, hey?”

            _Pansy had spotted Susan as she hopped the bar to help Dean and Seamus whip up another batch of Witch’s Brew for the guests. Next to her was none other than Adrian Pucey. He had given Pansy a curt nod and continued to line shots up with Hannah who was taking a quick break between the sets. In front of the bar was Theo and George as they each guzzled at a beer._

_“We’re heading out.” Pansy’s shit-eating grin was hard to disguise. “Back to Hogwarts. I already said bye to Granger.”_

_“What? Why our room? Potter has his own place with no roommates.” Susan scrunched with disappointment. “I don’t want to listen to you and him hump all night.”_

_“We’re not rabbits, Sue.” Harry tried to defend the budding relationship but Pansy shushed him. She clearly had other ideas._

_“Too drunk to travel that far. It would be irresponsible and dangerous.” Pansy sang happily, knowing fully well that Susan’s motherly side would come full force. It did. Her cheeks blew out a gust of disapproving air and she whipped her forehead with the back of her hand to brush back her stray hairs. “Find somewhere else to sleep or find some earplugs.”_

_Susan shook her head, grumpily getting back to work on the drinks. “You’re such a bitch.”_

_“Don’t ever forget it.” Pansy backed away with a tiny wave, dragging Harry behind her._

            “I thought you would have just stayed on the couch. Didn’t have to sink so low to sleep with Adrian again.” Pansy gave an apologetic glance before slipping into Harry’s lap.

            Susan snorted and Draco rolled his eyes. “You and Adrian used to shack up all the time, Pans.”

            “Where did Hermione sleep last night?” Pansy clucked her tongue at Draco’s attitude. She had a good hunch where her roommate had been. “I doubt she took the same route as young Bones here. But I also doubt that she did nothing else other than sleep.”

            Draco fumed, scoffed and swore under his breath. “Bugger off, would you? Don’t have to be such a wanker.”

            _Before saying goodbye to Susan, Pansy had been smack dab in the middle of the dance floor. Both her hands open as she danced freely and bumped against Hermione. Harry had made a slip to chat with Ron and Ginny in a booth, leaving her to her own choices. Familiar faces surrounded Pansy as she swayed and twirled and burst into laughter. Hermione held Pansy down for half a moment, using her wand to trace_ HG _onto her dress with paint. Just underneath the initials, Hermione drew out_ Alpas _in large, swirly letters across Pansy’s midsection._

_Pansy spun in place, admiring Hermione’s handiwork. Once, twice and finally Hermione wasn’t in front of her anymore._

_Instead, her bushy hair bounced determinedly as she spotted Draco on the outskirts of the party._

_Pansy studied the pair between the bobbing bodies of the people around her. Weaving in and out of view, she could see Hermione get closer to the silver haired young man. Closer until they seemingly became one._

_She really didn’t have anything better to do than spy on the friends, dashing to follow them as they scurried to the staircase leading up to the living quarters and office._

_Hermione had taken a few steps up, out of the line of sight of the bar. Dark shadows covered her expression and even the flashing lights of the party couldn’t find her. Pansy could see Draco though, she could see how he stayed still on the ground below her so that they were at the same level. His hands on her waist and her hands slipped around his neck. Draco nosed forward until his brushed against hers. Hermione lead the dance._

_Their lips swayed and twirled and dipped and frantically pulled them farther from reality._

_Pansy couldn’t help but stare._

_That is, until Harry came to find her._

_So, honestly, Pansy didn’t say goodbye to Hermione. But honestly, Hermione wouldn’t really mind if she knew why._

“Well obviously we didn’t bone like Bones and Pucey did. Poor Theo was already asleep when we got back. I wouldn’t do that _again_ to the poor lad. He was traumatized in fifth year.” Draco’s pride didn’t shake, casting a look of sass to Susan. “We’re not all assholes.”

 

* * *

 

            **Our loyalties and ambitions laid bare.**

**The phrase was full of authority, it was threatening on many levels.**

**To have your true self be open.**

            Hermione journaled her thoughts as they crossed her mind.

            Ron was tossing Teddy into the air, the squeals were a delightful change to the usual nonsense from the tower or the string of negativities she whispered to herself late in the night. Harry was in the kitchen, frying up eggs and bacon for their dinner. The smell filled the house, a fresh reminder to the summer before the school year.

            It had been almost a month since the birthday party. A few days away from Halloween. 

            Ron had officially finished his Auror training. Harry had sketched out the first chapter of his book. Hermione had come round to the all encompassing idea that was Draco Malfoy.

            “Is it coming along?”

            Ron almost dropped Teddy at Harry’s question, his eyes darting to Hermione for an excuse.

            They were to be working on forewords for the novel.

            Hermione had gotten right to it, the journal in front of her already scribbled with notes as she breezed through Harry’s beginning chapter. Ron, however, had been distracted by Teddy – which wasn’t all that unusual.

              “Now, Harry, we’re not going to show you these until you finish the book. The before and after statements will make all the difference for you and will ultimately help you edit to improve the overall novel experience.” Hermione shouted into the kitchen, shaking her head at Ron.

            “ _Based on true events._ But why mate?” Ron had been fiddling with the chapter ever since Harry placed it in his hands. Everything they had been through, everything that Harry grew through, was being transformed into historical fiction. The experience of a nameless Hogwarts student as they survived the events over the years. From Quirrel and Quidditch, to the castle being taken over and being on the run. There was no hero and there was no happy ending.

            “I figured I’d rather tell my story than someone else tell it for me.” Harry carried in a tray with the eggs and bacon, floating the carton of orange juice behind him. “Then it hit me. I’d rather tell someone else’s story instead of mine. The story of what happened in the perspective of someone who had to deal with the trouble I caused.”

            Before Hermione could shame Harry for thinking he was the root of all the troubles, Teddy scrambled to get his sippy cup which was now full of OJ. Harry hadn’t tightened the lid though which lead to the juice being spilt all over Ron.

            “At least it matches your hair.” Harry joked, his smile radiating positive energy.

            He might believe that he caused all of the trouble.

            But he also believed that he did his best to fix everything.

            Harry had saved everything.


	15. All Of The Stars (guide us home)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because I'm still on winter break and am bed bound because of a chest infection (ayyyyo)  
> \- give me some love in the form of kudos and comments??

           Sitting in the Great Hall, Hermione spooned at the porridge in front of her. The cinnamon and apple pieces were mixing together rhythmically as she drowned out the loud morning rush around her. Susan was going over notes with Draco to her side, flipping through papers wildly. The pair had stayed up incredibly late to get a chunk of work done – the evidence overwhelming as the bags under their eyes matched the darkness of their coffees. Blaise was to her other side just as quiet as Hermione. He was pretending to listen to Neville who rattled on and on about a dream he had last night where Luna could sneeze acid. An irrational fear had developed immediately. Next to Neville, across from Hermione, sat Michael and Pansy. Neither of the roommates had spoken a word since getting up that morning. Pansy had attempted several times to eat her cereal with her eyes closed, but kept missing her mouth. Theo had been running late that morning, holding Terry back in the apartment so that he wouldn’t be the only one missing.

            Breakfast was usually held in their personal quarters, but McGonagall had reached out to them the night before and requested their presence the following morning.  At the Heads’ table, McGonagall could be seen having a quick meeting with the rest of the staff.

            Quick footsteps could be heard scurrying down the stone hall. Theo and Terry rounded the corner and slid into their seats at the Elites’ table more out of breath than they would like to admit.

            “Now that we have all arrived,” Theo and Terry weren’t even given the choice to fill their tea mugs before McGonagall practically called them out for running behind. “I wanted to personally wish you a Happy Halloween. The faculty and I have had it brought to our attention that spirits have been running on low recently in Hogwarts. Some of our Elite Students, Susan Bones and Draco Malfoy, approached me and asked if we could have some fun tonight, as a surprise. Susan, Draco? Would you like to stand?”

            “We want to have a party, full of Muggle Halloween traditions.” Susan announced firstly, excitedly. Her smile was bright enough to lighten the dark tiredness in her eyes. Draco seemed just as pleased.

            Work? They worked all night? Hermione thought staggeredly, twisting to witness both of her friends stand tall and proud with the papers still in their hands. They had been planning a party until the early morning hours. A Muggle party, nonetheless. Something the both of them had next to no experience or knowledge about.

            “Since it’s a Friday night, we’ve had our curfew extended for the festivities. Everyone is welcome to dress up. We’ve arranged to have the Patil twins come in during the lunch hours with plenty of extra clothes in stock so you can be whatever you want to be.” Draco continued, a grin so big that it almost looked fake. “The Househeads will be judging for best costume, best pair and best group. And yes, there will be prizes.”

            “We’ve also worked with Professor Hagrid and Mr. Filch to create a movie screen area on the Quidditch pitch. It’ll be warm and comfy and we’ll be showing classic, family friendly Halloween movies all night. With apple cider of course! In this area, we will also have pumpkin carving available.” Susan waved to Hagrid, and she even received a smile from Filch.

            “The evening will start with our traditional feast here in the Great Hall, but then everyone is encouraged to go Trick or Treating. The Elites and the rest of the staff will be around the castle ready to give out candy. But only to those students that dress up for the occasion.” Draco eyed down some of the more troublesome students across the hall.

            “When you finish trick or treating, the Great Hall will have transformed into a big celebration. Along the walls will be games such as bobbing for apples and wrap the mummy.” Susan continued brushing away Hermione’s hand as it tried to grab her skirt for attention. Hermione was very much thrown off, realizing that all of the Elites had been signed up without ever being asked. “The middle will be a big dance floor where the talented DJ Hannah will be spinning tunes all night long.”

            The entire student body was silent. Draco and Susan had commanded every ounce of respect that the school had for something that was so nontraditional and… _uncool._ It was a stunned stillness hanging above the crowd.

            “Oh, and the professors won’t be at the party bit. The Elites will be supervising.” McGonagall clarified from the front of the hall to everyone’s surprise.

            A huge call of whooping, shouting and overall excitement rippled through the tables.

            A real party.

            Pansy made an inhumane noise, her forehead slapping against the table hard as she disagreed with their new evening plans. Blaise and Neville both looked utterly scared of the idea. Michael, Terry and Theo were clearly still processing everything.

            Susan and Draco slid back into their seats, linking their pinkies under the table for luck and satisfaction.

 

* * *

 

            “What are you supposed to be?”

            Susan could see Pansy’s confused expression in the reflection of the mirror.

            “I’m the Paper Bag Princess.” Susan motioned to the obvious costume. Unflattering and true to the story concept, she had nailed the appearance with even a tall tiara. “It was the only Muggle storybook my parents read to me.”

            Hermione sniggered at Pansy’s transition from confused to disturbed. She pulled at the red hood around her shoulders to flip over her hair. The cape cascaded down to her knees which she paired with a simple white dress and black shoes. It had been an easy decision to go as Little Red, not in the sense that it was her favourite, but that it was literally _easy._

            “And who are you going as, Pans?” Susan retorted, tying up the laces of her sneakers.

            Pansy didn’t flinch. “I’m a homicidal maniac, obviously.” Both Hermione and Susan spun to burst into laughter. Pansy, of course, had no idea what her friends were going on about, and gave each a deadpan glare before rolling her eyes. “Such wankers.”

            Susan skipped to the closet, fishing out the perfect dress for the evening and Hermione jumped to straddle Pansy to the floor. Hermione began to braid her hair while Susan searched for a pair of plain black shoes and the right tights.

            “Freaks! Such wankers! What is going on?” Pansy half resisted at first, but gave up without much thought.

            “Just be yourself tonight. And say your name is Wednesday if anyone asks what your costume is.” Hermione finished the braids quickly and expertly, letting Pansy stand up to slip on the costume. “Trust us, any Muggleborn students that know the reference will love it.”

            “Be myself?”

            “Talk about death and be a stone-cold bitch.” Susan explained confidently.

 

* * *

 

            Pansy carried in the new jug of apple cider to the Quidditch pitch which had become part movie theatre and part pumpkin carving station. Blaise was lounging with the students that wanted to watch Casper, trying to hide the fact that he had a flask of firewhisky. It had taken a lot of convincing to get all six boys into their Power Ranger costumes, but surprisingly, Blaise was the first to agree. Badass ninjas, yeah sure. 

            Draco felt as if he had been cheated out of a great opportunity for being the one to suggest the group costume. Pansy had smacked him for that.

            Michael agreed on the account that he would get to wear yellow. It looked best with his eyes.

            “That’s one of the girl rangers.” Hermione mentioned innocently. She didn’t want Michael to go through torturous teasing from the Muggleborns if they were to find out. The moment she spoke though, Hermione realized her mistake. “How incredibly sexist of me. Colour of a suit does not define the person in the suit.”

            “And that’s why I said I would wear the pink one.” Draco had pushed his shoulders back, smug. “My masculinity isn’t as fragile as these lads'.”

            He received a collective eye roll. 

            Now seeing Blaise covered head to toe in a blue ninja suit, twirling a double-edged spear that he had transfigured from a lamp, Pansy was pleased to not feel like yelling at him. In fact, she wanted to yell at him a lot less since school had started. Their so-called friendship had always been on a thin line but with the rest of the Elites, the tension had disappeared and Pansy could _almost_ appreciate him as a person. Almost.

            “Pans, look what I made for you.” Luna had been supervising the pumpkin carving station with Neville. Turning on her heel to see, Pansy spotted Neville helping a young first year with some of the knife work. Older students were using their wand to slice and dice. Luna stood a foot away from Pansy however, with a turnip in her hand.

            It was dulled in colour, and quite frankly one of the creepiest looking vegetables Pansy had seen in a long time. “Aren’t jack-o-laterns supposed to be from pumpkins?”

            “The tradition originates from Scotland, and later Ireland. They used turnips.” Luna gushed, her hair falling out of the long plait form behind. She had started the party with a bedsheet over her – a ghost she had celebrated excitedly upon arrival. “Besides, this is a good size for Kira.”

            Pansy handled the turnip, her fingers breezing over the harsh sketch lines of a smiling face. The lid popped off to reveal a never-ending candle that could be lit.

            It was a great gift.

            “I tried to charm it to last longer but I’ve always had a hard with smells on organic materials.” She continued, shrugging helplessly. With a little luck, Pansy could probably adjust the magic in it. “Will you be staying for next movie or does Susan and Draco have you scheduled somewhere?”

            Her activity, wrap the mummy, had been passed onto Michael after a few rounds so her evening was now free. “Maybe, sure.”

            “It’ll be The Addams Family.” Luna was sweet enough to overexaggerate a wink. “I have a feeling you’ll really relate to one of the characters. She’s quite lovely.”

 

* * *

 

            Hermione watched as Susan belted out the lyrics to Come On Eileen, dancing with such vigor that the younger students seemed genuinely interested in the mess in front of them. She could understand why – Susan had absolutely no shame when it came to having fun, and what fifteen-year-old wants to actually dance at a school dance.

            Hannah had practically personalized the set for Susan so that she could dance and have a great time regardless if anyone else got up to join. Lights were flashing, they had released bats and charmed candles to float above the floor. Susan looked like she was almost drowning in loneliness but didn’t seem to notice. The Paper Bag Princess outfit made it a tad bit worse.

            “Let’s go.” Draco, with the pink hood of his ranger’s suit pulled down to let his head pop out, tugged at Hermione’s cape. He had been supervising the bobbing for apples game while Hermione was a few steps over with the pin the spider on the web. Both of their activities had quieted down enough to let prefects take the lead without a problem. “Remember to keep it PG, lil Red.”

            She couldn’t help but scoff. “It’s a school dance, Draco, not the Leaky.” Her smirk dropped into a pout. “And speak for yourself. You work those poles like rent is due the next morning.”

            His mouth formed a curved, confused line.

            A beat passed.

            Susan somehow began to sing louder.

            His mouth twisted upwards to match the brightness of her eyes, lacing his fingers between hers and leading her to the centre of the dance floor.

            It didn’t take long for others to find their way in front of the DJ stand. Draco had immediately jumped on the stage to join Hannah, nodding along to the music with the DJ’s giant headphones on.        

            Terry was the next Elite to make an appearance, spinning Susan and feeding off of her enthusiasm for the occasion. Every so often, Hermione observed, she would catch Terry staring at Susan while she wasn’t looking. The action pulled at her heartstrings. It urged her to send Ginny to go dance with Susan so that Hermione could steal Terry away for a bit. Ginny was more than happy to shake around with her fellow ginger. Terry was hesitant to get closer to Hermione though.

            “You sure?” Terry asked cautiously, glancing up to make eye contact with Draco.

            Hermione groaned, flipping her hood back on to block their conversation. “So book smart, but not so street smart, huh?” Terry’s blank stare reminded her of who she was talking with. “Draco and I aren’t together, by any means. We’re both mutually attracted to each but other than that…absolutely nothing is going on.” His Adams apple jolted with nerves. “Keep your head on straight, Terry. It doesn’t matter what’s going on between Malfoy and I. It does matter what’s going on between you and Bones though.”

            “She likes Nott.”

            “I can’t necessarily confirm or deny that. Sue doesn’t talk about her affections very much, outside of attraction.” Hermione spun so that she could study Susan, her fiery curls bouncing under her sad little crown. Ginny’s steps paired with her tempo as she was dressed as McGonagall. The sight was terrifying and hilarious. “Do something about it.”

            “Just…do something?”

            “Anything.” Hermione grabbed a hold of his shoulders, wiggling them as if it was going to shake some sense into him. Terry was a very good looking, very smart and very nice young man. But something in Hermione told him that Susan didn’t need good looking, smart or nice. Susan needed a challenge. “The best way to figure this out is by doing.”

            Terry lit up, finally understanding.

            A shock of confidence flowed through his veins.

            A blind faith showed him the way through the crowd.

            Without hesitation, Terry kissed Susan.

            This could have been the worst piece of advice Hermione had ever given.

           

* * *

 

            “What the bloody hell, Boot!”

            It definitely wasn’t a question.

            Susan gave her housemate a sturdy shove after he had brought his lips down onto hers.

            His expression could only be described as lost.

            “I needed to know. I needed to do something.”

            The Great Hall was still in full swing. No one had paid attention to the misshapen kiss.

            Except for Ginny. She had backed off quickly, staring with the full intensity of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

            “You needed to know? _You needed to know_! What I need you to do is tell me what the flying fuck is going on Terry, or I swear to Merlin that I will hex your dick off.” Susan shouted in a hushed tone, not wanting to draw any attention from her peers, but she was also determined to scare Terry enough that he may or may not piss himself. “Do we have to talk about what consent is, asshole?”

            “No, no! It’s okay! It’s okay!” Terry held his hands up in defense, quickly dropping them to cover his lower half in case Susan went through with her threats. “Because that was like kissing a sister!”

            If possible, Susan went from full of rage to full of disgust.

            “I’ve liked you for such a long time now Sue, ever since we started this year. Two months of not knowing whether we had any chance. From Seamus and Oliver and Adrian…and now I see you with Theo. I needed to know if anything was there.” Terry dared to peek over his shoulder to beg Hermione for help. Susan’s blue eyes had clouded over and he could feel her magic electrifying from within her skin. She was dangerous. “There’s no spark.”

            And just like that, Susan’s spark came back to her eyes.

            Without hesitation, Susan punched Terry.

            It was a quick shot to his solar plexus. The same area of the body that she had become well acquainted with in the Hospital Wing. It was an easy spot for Quidditch players to get hurt, situated directly between the chest and stomach.

            She was positive he would bruise.

            Maybe even vomit.

            “We’re even now.” Susan ignored the roar from the students around them. The music had been quieted as Hannah and Draco watched in anticipation. “You kissed me. I punched you.”

            Terry moaned loudly, bending over in pain. He managed to nod though, completely okay with the circumstances. He deserved everything she threw at him.

            “Hey mate,” Draco announced into the microphone on the DJ stand. “You should be happy that was her left hand. We all know what her Beater swing is like.”

            At least that part of Susan's life had finally been settled. 

 

* * *

 

            Hannah had been good friends with Susan for almost seven years.

            Their first year together was a bit strained from the stress of Hogwarts. Susan was an determined overachiever while Hannah knew that she often played into the hands of those in charge. Hufflepuffs fought for fairness however, which ultimately brought the two girls together.  Susan was fearless in the best ways and Hannah was patient enough to deal with the redhead’s _idiotic_ decisions.

            Just like now…how Susan sucker punched Terry Boot in the middle of a school dance.

            Hannah stepped to her friend’s side, tossing the music on loudly to distract the crowd and nudged Draco Malfoy to hop off her stand to deal with the situation inconspicuously.

            Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley held their stance, somehow completely useless. Hannah pursed her lips, the arrogance of being right was all too evident. Sure, what Susan did was right, but how she went about it was drastic. Draco did as Hannah asked however, tugging Terry out of the crowd and towards the exit. Hermione and Ginny took it upon themselves to act then as they got Susan dancing again.

            Just keep Susan dancing.

 

* * *

 

            The next morning came and went without much movement from the Elites. Hermione was curled up in the girls’ room, quill scratching methodically as she redid notes and used a bright _lumos_ to cast light since Pansy absolutely required darkness while sleeping. The afternoon crept by unnoticed by the bedroom. Hermione had put her notes away and had started reading a book of Susan’s. Susan, on the other hand, wrote a few letters to her cousin and aunt overseas. Pansy continued to sleep.

            Pansy continued to sleep until her growling stomach happened to wake her up.

            The scene was funny enough to make both Hermione and Susan giggle.

            Rubbing her eyes, Pansy managed a satisfied yawn. “Lunch?”

            Together the three young women walked to the Great Hall. None of the boys were up and about yet, except for Neville and Blaise who were in their office hours. They had left Michael in the common room where he was half asleep on the couch with a textbook sprawled across his chest.

            The Hall reflected the student body. Weekend lunches weren’t mandatory, and it was obvious. A handful of young wizards and witches mingled quietly while the staff and faculty were all present and accounted for at the Head Table.

            Hermione slid into the table across from Susan and Pansy, helping herself to a bowl of soup and a sandwich. Over Susan’s shoulder, she could spot Headmistress McGonagall agree with Oliver about whatever he was saying. As if Hermione watching gave Oliver permission, he sauntered down to the Elite’s table.

            “Morning ladies, I heard your party went well last night. All the students have been talking about it. McGonagall said you did a wonderful job.” Oliver startled Pansy and Susan as he came up from behind. Once realizing who was speaking to them, Pansy rolled her eyes and went back to slurping her soup loudly and Susan took a deep breath to centre some patience. “Did you have fun as well?”

            “We did, thank you Oliver.” Hermione took it upon herself to speak for Susan. In any other circumstance, Susan could probably handle the conversation herself but after the tossup the night before, Hermione didn’t want to risk another punch. “What can we help you with?”

            Oliver grinned. An all-encompassing grin. “Actually, I was helping out McGonagall last night, tidying up her office. A lot of random boxes and crates were in storage from previous Headmasters and she wanted to make room. I came across this.” Oliver reached into the back pocket of his robes. “Here. Take a look.”

            Susan reached out and accepted the photograph in his hands.

            Hermione could see it perfectly. The castle had captured the exact moment of when little Susan Bones, Pansy Parkinson and Hermione Granger had walked into the Great Hall for the first time. All three of them were staring at the enchanted ceiling, basking in the magical light from the stars. Right before their sorting and right after initial meeting. It was the in-between stage that all the first years experienced for only a breathtaking moment. The few blinks in time where they could all be friends.

            The picture was discoloured from the years of darkness, and the edges were a tad bit torn.

            The back, in Dumbledore’s scrawled handwriting _: the stars never predicted such powerful magic_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes hello hi there,  
> we have over 50, 000 words!! whaaaaaat a wild world we live in, eh?  
> Anyways, I've gone through my story notes and I believe I'll have between 6-7 more chapters until the end.  
> so yeah thanks for hanging out with me dudes! I love the positive and creative vibes of this website, cha feel?  
> I'd love to throw together another story idea and get a timeline in the works. if anyone wants to toss me a message, I'd love to chat with someone about my themes and plots :))))))))


	16. Pass Me By (like too fun, too young to fall to pieces)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's a long one boys! hope it's a good read!

           “Am I in trouble then?”

            Ron was hesitant, holding the ladder sturdy for Hermione as she twisted shimmering streamers along the drafters of Harry’s house. They were decorating for Theo’s birthday dinner. A few weeks had passed since their Halloween party and plans had been made for the special day ahead of time. Dinner at Harry’s followed by a Spellbound concert. Theo knew about the dinner, but thought that’s where the festivities were going to stop. Little did he know that Pansy had secured ten tickets almost a month ago.

            “Have a guess.”

            Hermione’s voice was firm, strong above the ongoings of the busy living room. Terry was in charge of Teddy and together the pair took on most of the spare floor space. In the kitchen, Harry and Neville cooked away at the meal. Harry, after years of preparing food for his aunt and uncle, had become quite good at cooking, and Neville’s nan made sure he had more going for him than just his magic.  Michael was in the dinning room setting the table for dinner. Susan had to run out for an errand while Draco, Blaise, Pansy and Theo visited Theo’s family for the afternoon.

            “No?”

            If looks could kill, Hermione wouldn’t need a wand to cast a lethal spell. Ron felt his response drop dead and he wanted to sink into the empty space along with it before Hermione could do any real damage.

            “Have another guess.”

            Her voice turned thick and unimpressed. His heart practically stopped. He recognized the tone, he felt the literal fire of disappoint within her.

            “But, Hermione, it isn’t even that bad! I just-.”

            “You just forgot the birthday cake, Ronald! It’s bad. It was your only job. Poor Theo, and poor Susan. She’s had to run out to get one last minute. You didn’t need a gift, you didn’t even need to follow a dress code. I thought…you know what, sure! Ron can handle the cake. Ron loves cake. He won’t forget the bloody cake!”

            Ron ducked as Hermione tossed down the excess streamers at him.

            “If I can hear you argue, that means Teddy can hear you argue.” Harry’s voice sang out happily from the kitchen, very aware of his friends fighting in the next room where his godson was listening and learning from their habits. “Now, what do we say to our mates after we’ve had a row?”

            Hermione huffed and Ron’s ears turned red.

            “Say it, or I swear to Merlin, I will get the Sharing Shirt.” Harry was determined. Teddy gurgled in Terry’s arms and Michael popped into the living room to watch the masterpiece that was a famous row between the Gryffindor King and Queen.

            Hermione and Ron eyed each other before taking deep breaths and started saying the silly rhyme.

**I love you, you love me**  
We're a happy family  
With a great big hug   
And a kiss from me to you  
Won't you say you love me too?

**I love you, you love me**  
We're best friends like friends should be  
With a great big hug   
And a kiss from me to you  
Won't you say you love me too?

“Hey Teddy, who sings that song?” Neville poked out from the kitchen, a serious look on his face as he manages to tease his old housemates and teach the young tot at the same time.

            Teddy beamed. “Barney!”

            “That’s right, little buddy! That’s right!” Neville clapped loudly along with Michael and Terry. Hermione and Ron swallowed their feud and clapped along to encourage the little boy who instantly changed his hair from aqua to forest green with yellow tips. “We all love each other here. A big happy family that tries to not argue in front of impressionable young wizards.”

            The front door shuts quietly, and a hum of laughter echoed through the house. Susan was back. Susan was back and she was hunched over after hearing the harmonizing of Hermione and Ron.

            “Shut it, Bones.” Ron stomped his foot, his inner brat escaping momentarily.

            This only made Susan begin to wheeze.  

 

* * *

 

            “I say ‘I don’t know’ a lot,” Pansy sipped her glass of Merlot, her eyes staring at the group around the table. The group stared right back at her, well aware that she had finished off the entire Merlot bottle by herself. “But trust me…I be knowin’.”

            Somehow the conversation had flowed from beekeeping to ancient Rome and landed on conspiracy theories. Pansy took it upon herself at that exact moment to clarify her beliefs on the Lizard People and JFK’s assassination. Harry sat next to her, curious as his almost-girlfriend showed a new side to herself.

            “I think that’s enough of that, Pans.” Harry gave Pansy a quick kiss to the cheek to distract her long enough for Draco to take away the last glass of her wine and replace it with water.

             “Trust me, Harry James Potter…I be knowin’.” Pansy winked at Harry and accepted the glass of water. Somehow Pansy had managed to make every one of her friends incredibly uncomfortable by winking a few more times. “I. Be. Knowin’.”

            The beef wellington was carved and the leftover green beans and roasted potatoes were picked at slowly. The meal had been simply spectacular. Theo led the gracious thanks to Neville and Harry for their work and hospitality.

            “Time for cake?” Ron asked, receiving an immediate smack against the thigh from Hermione. He pushed away from her and into Draco for support. “I’m just saying what everyone else is thinking, Mi, for fuc…um, for truck’s sake.” He managed to avoid another singalong by dodging the cuss word.

            Susan stood up with Blaise to get the birthday cake while everyone chattered about the good save Ron had. Blaise dimmed the lights while Susan brought out a Star Wars themed cake. She placed it front of Theo, leaning around his shoulders to give him a hug.

            The name Jason was crudely crossed out and replaced with a hasty Theo.

            No one questioned it, but Susan felt obligated to explain the issue. “ _Someone_ forgot to get the cake originally, so I had to get a spare. Luckily there is a Muggle bakery not too far and the person there was more than accommodating with our request.” No one replied, the quietness bothering Susan. “It was either Ten-Year-Old Jason’s Star Wars cake or a Happy Retirement cake for Patricia who apparently likes poodles. Blow out the candles and make a wish, god damn it.”

            Theo could feel Susan’s weight against him, her even breathing and steady heartbeat so close that he felt in sync with his wonderful friend. Susan sang out of tune with the rest of the table, her long red locks tickling his neck and it took every once of control to not turn and kiss her jawbone. It was obvious that she was attracted to him and he made it pretty clear that he fancied her.

            Okay, not clear. Pretty subtle. Hardly any hints to be honest.

            Susan’s a smart witch though, so she must know something was up.

            He fucking _bathed_ her and _held_ her one night when she had an emotional breakdown. Bells and whistles must have gone off in her head, right? Theo had fireworks and thunderstorms exploding in his so hopefully Susan had at least an alarm clock buzzing and maybe a doorbell ringing.

            She was looking at him…gazing, Theo convinced himself.

            “The candles, Nott.”

            Oh right.

            Theo made his wish and blew out the candles.

            The table cheered in celebration.

 

* * *

 

            “Listen here, you stale baguette,” Draco sniggered, doing his best to hold Pansy back from crashing into Susan. The glass of water had magically turned into another bottle of wine by the time the cake was cut. “The gingerbread man is going to stay here with the bear cub and you’re going to come to the concert with us because I like stale baguettes a whole lot more than gingerbread.”

            Ron didn’t know whether he should be insulted or not.

            “Don’t be ridiculous, Pansy.” Susan bounced Teddy on her knee while Terry and Blaise cleared the dishes on the table. “I agreed a week ago that Ron could have my ticket. He hardly gets any time off while being an Auror and I think that Harry and Hermione would like to spend the evening with him. Anyways, babies freak me out so this will be a good experience. I’ve got to get over the fear at some point.”

            Pansy screeched but was flying too high to really care. She gathered Theo’s presents with him and Harry so that they could be sent back to Hogwarts when Susan headed back for the night.

            Draco felt secure enough to let Pansy drift out of his range and turned his attention to Hermione. Michael had only been too happy to tell the Elites that had missed out on the joyous occasion that was the I Love You song. Once finding out, he demanded that Harry tell him what exactly Barney was and how a Sharing Shirt was used as a means of torture. Harry was more than pleased to show Draco his forms of punishment. The whole ordeal basically gave Draco a new outlook on life. Now though, Hermione and Ron spoke civilly about his first few missions and how her project was coming along.

            It felt like it had been forever since he and Hermione started dancing around each other and their feelings. Nothing more ever happened outside the couple of snog sessions they shared and a few dirty daydreams. She had put him in such an insane place. Be her friend first, but she kept touching his thigh like it was no big deal. Friends that make out. In retrospect, Draco should have been thrilled. And he was on some level. Maybe taking the opportunity as it came was for the best, after all it would be less of a headache. Hermione wore a beige turtle neck and baggy jeans that night and Draco wished that she didn’t look so good, he wished that he knew what she looked like under the ridiculously frumpy outfit.

            At least they weren’t as bad as Pansy and Harry, he supposed. The pair were basically official but neither of them used any form of label. Pansy didn’t want to be held back by the word _boyfriend_ and The Boy Who Lived was terrified about messing up their makeshift relationship to bring up his opinion on the matter. The hero was whipped and everyone knew it, including Pansy, but she was so caught up on the idea of having fun this year that the commitment she desperately needed was just out of hand’s reach.

            Merlin. Since when did Draco analyze his mates’ relationships?

            “Can you pass me my purse, Draco?” Hermione asked sweetly from across the table, pointing to the red bag that hung on the chair next to him.

            Oh yeah. When Hermione Granger grabbed a hold of his balls, that’s when.

            “Alright Tedster, time to say goodbye to everyone. They’ve got to Floo over now, and we’ve got a Sesame Street marathon to start.” Susan reminded everyone of the time, hurrying up the cleaning process. “Gotta get our jammies on and all snuggled with our blankies.”

            Draco understood the appeal of Susan Bones. The lass was easy to look at and had the brains to back her up. Her personality shifted between Hermione and Pansy’s and her passion often lifted the spirits of those around her. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Theo got a heart-boner for her. It had though, springing on Draco almost embarrassingly late. Theo had hidden his interest fairly well considering how touchy and feely and overall open he was when it came to attraction. And that’s what Draco had assumed it was in the beginning. Having fun and all that bull, just following the crowd.

            Little things started to happen though that revealed the truth.

            It was always about the little things when it came to Theo.

            Blaise, Pansy, Michael, Harry, Ron, Terry, Hermione and Neville disappeared in green flashes as they rushed to attend the concert. Draco stepped up next, collecting the powder. He paused though, studying Theo as he went to give Teddy a goodbye hug.

            “You sure we can’t find a way for you to come?”

            Susan let Teddy go to crawl around on the ground, shaking her head. “Someone has to take care of the kid and I’d rather know everyone else is having a great time.”

            “I’d have a better time if you came too.”

            Draco wanted to gag. How adorable.

            He felt as though he shouldn’t be watching their exchange. Theo had dug deep and found a bit of courage, stepping closer to the stunned young woman. Draco had seen that look on Theo’s face before. Adoration. It was a look that Draco knew all too well. Nott was going to go in for the kill: he was going to kiss Bones.

            Draco suddenly wanted to be blind. It would be too obvious to Floo away now.

            “You’re going to be late. Draco is waiting for you.”

            What the fuck.

            So, Susan had seen him.

            This was just absolutely fucking fantastic.

            “Right.” A wall snapped between Theo and Susan. Draco watched as his friends physically broke apart in one rapid motion. “Well, I’ll go. Thanks for the party.”

            “I hope you still have a great time at the concert, even though I’m not there.” Susan was truly magical when it came to how she controlled the way people feel. Theo visibly went from awkward and sulky to smirking with a tilted chuckle. “Go on, shockingly Spellbound won’t wait for the birthday boy.”

            Draco knew his beating went from severe to mild when Susan sent Theo off with a kiss to the cheek. He’d only be bruised for ruining the moment rather than bloodied. Bless Bones and her odd ways.

 

* * *

           

            There was an encore. And drinks afterwards. And somehow the gang ended up an already closed Tower Bridge. That didn’t stop Blaise from charming the locks and Ron from hexing the security system. Of the ten, eight of them went up to explore the empty bridge.

            Harry stayed at the base with Pansy under the coverings, out of sight.

            She had sobered up considerably and had a fantastic time at the concert.

            “You know, the hols are coming up Pans. I was wondering if you wanted to spend it together.” Harry relaxed with his eyes closed, his back pressed on the hard brick of the bridge’s supports. Pansy shifted next to him, concentrating on the traffic passing by unknowingly. “I want to visit New York City. Have you ever been?”

            Pansy wanted to scream. To crawl away in fear and erase Harry’s pure and thoughtful heart from her head. Dating Harry Potter turned out to be a lot more than she expected. She hadn’t really expected anything in the beginning, truth be told. Dating Harry Potter seemed like a good time and he was a good guy. This year wasn’t about… _this._ “I can’t.”

            “Oh.” Harry opened his eyes to read Pansy’s answer again. “I thought it would be nice to spend the time together since neither of us will be with our families. Did I, um, upset you? I know how this relationship-y stuff makes-.”

            “Harry, I just can’t. I…don’t celebrate Christmas.” It was a lie, and it wasn’t even good. Bollocks.

            “What?” He knew.

            The cars zoomed by with more noise and the wind picked up to steal the air in her lungs.

            Harry looked to her, earnest.

            “How can you want to spend a holiday together when we haven’t even shagged yet, Potter?” Pansy slipped, but with no regret. His cheeks lit up against the night’s dark sky and he puffed out a nervous breath. “This isn’t the right time. I’m not ready.”

            “Not ready to shag?” Harry never was the smartest or most observant.

            “No, fuck. I’m not ready for you.” Pansy could see the colour drain and the happy vibration halt. “Ready for you to love me.”

            “I never said that I…” How he drifted off confirmed Pansy’s suspicions. He never had to say it for her to know it. She could feel it whenever he laced his fingers through hers, or how she heard it in the back of his throat while they made out. Harry was, if anything, _a lot_. He didn’t do things half-heartedly and always did what was right even if it cost him. Of course Harry would be the type to fall in love hard and fast, Pansy didn’t really expect anything less. She just never thought he would be falling hard and fast for her. “Are you breaking up with me?”

            Neither smart nor observant.

            Pansy slumped next to him, her words dropping. “I do want to slow things down with you, I really do. I want to be the girl that can take her time and be there with you.” Harry responded as if she had just stole his sunshine. With one more glance to the outside world, Pansy twisted words even more so. “But Harry, I can’t. I’ve never been a girl who moves slowly. I’m not sure I’m ready to go that slow yet.”

            She was speaking in tongues, leaving Harry mystified. “I like being with you.” It was all he could muster, the truth. “I don’t want to break up.”

            “We’re not, Harry, we’re not breaking up.” Pansy laughed painfully. “My last and only boyfriend happened to be the guy I was arranged to marry. From then on, my relationships circled around quick shags and chases. I’m scared…that I won’t be what you need.”

            Finally, for once in his life, Harry knew that silence would speak louder than any series of wrong words he strung together could. The cool November wind had picked up, washing Pansy’s hair across her face and made the hair on the back of Harry’s neck stand on end. Her hazel eyes put the moon to shame that night, teasing at her pale, porcelain skin. She was right, as she usually was, Harry noted. The irony of it all was laughable. She wanted to keep things fast and exciting because slowing things down meant serious commitment. If Pansy wanted to hangout with other guys and still see him on the side, fine. Fine. Just fine. The idea made Harry’s hand shake with a cocktail of feelings he couldn’t pinpoint. Why she didn’t want to make things official was beyond him, but while he had her now, he would make things count. While he had her now, pressed against the Tower Bridge in the deep night, he would take his chance.

             “Want to see how fast I am? Bet I’d be fairly quick at undressing you.”

            Pansy thought the abundance of wine was making her dive into an alternate universe. She pulled at her leather skirt instinctively, but her chest thrusted forward to show her deep-rooted confidence. Harry eyed her Slytherin Quidditch tank top under her jean jacket. “Excuse me?”

            “After that, I can’t promise things will stay quick. Like you said, Pans, I want to take my time with you too.” Harry was swift to brush her hair out of the way, capturing her lips with purpose.

            Theo may be the birthday boy, but Harry planned on getting lucky that night.

            Pansy, now floored that she and Harry were on the same page, was quick to match his direction.

 

* * *

 

            Susan was tossed into the Floo network and magicked away without a second glance from Harry and Pansy once they arrived back at Grimmauld Place. The couple had said rushed goodbyes to the rest of their friends at Tower Bridge before kicking Susan out so they could have privacy. Luckily for them, Teddy had been picked up about twenty minutes earlier and she was just tidying up around the house. The thanks she got for babysitting? A full view of Pansy fucking Parkinson dropping to her knees so that she could pulled down Harry fucking Potter’s jeans. Her nightmares now had a new type of fuel. 

            There was no delicate nature between the pair as far as Susan could see, no sense of romance.

            Pansy must have finally cracked.

            Or Harry was more of a man than Susan had suspected.

            The fireplace in the common room cracked forward suddenly as Susan stumbled out.

            “You look like you just saw a ghost, Sue.” Terry laughed at his Muggle-ish pun. He sat on one of the sofas, nursing a bottle of beer with Hermione at his side. She lounged cheerfully with her own bottle and laid her legs over his, sloping against Draco. Blaise and Theo bickered from the kitchen as they brought together some good leftovers to help heal the oncoming hangovers.

            Susan wished she could have said more. “Scarier.”

            “Saw Pots N Pans going at it, didn’t cha?” Draco guessed, almost compassionate towards her pain. “My bet was they were getting messy.”

            Hermione sent a cleaning spell in Susan’s direction, the dirt vanishing so that she didn’t bring soot into the house. “Want to talk about it?”

            “Not even a little bit, no.” Susan deadpanned, judging Hermione for her never-ending ability to be a good friend. “Let’s talk about something else. How was the concert? What else did you get up to?”

            Each of her housemates launched into the retelling of the night. How fun the concert was ( _“I caught one of their towels!” Terry shouted gleefully)_ , and how exotic the bar for after drinks was ( _“It’s called karaoke!” Draco explained excitedly)_ and how gorgeous the views were from the Tower Bridge ( _“I threw the towel in the river from the top!” Terry still shouted gleefully, but his expression transformed to disappointed as he realized for the first time since arriving home that he didn’t have the Spellbound towel.)_.

            The conversation tired the Elites out for the most part, leading to a show and tell of Theo’s birthday gifts. A portable table tennis set, a glass with the map of Hogwarts on it, a personalized scrapbook of his summer in Brazil, a new pair of Dragonhide gloves, a canvas & suede travel backpack, a senseless amount of Muggle chocolate and a lovely silver watch. Theo couldn’t contain his gratitude as he showcased each gift again and again until the friends realized that Terry had fallen asleep on Hermione and began to drool.

            Susan sent them all to bed with a cup of water and a pill for the morning. It was close to four in the morning now, causing Susan to struggle as she tried to put things away in the living room.

            “So how was Sesame Street?”

            Theo had stuck around, gathering the empty bottles as he stepped in time with Susan.

            “Wonderful, I learned so much. I’ve gotta say though, I think I went a bit hard on the apple juice. I don’t know how Teddy does it, he drank me under the table tonight.” She joked, brushing her hands against her sides as final swipe. “How about you? Was Spellbound just as great as I suspect?”

            “I was right.” Theo shrugs, daring her to meet his gaze. The liquor had fallen asleep in his veins but the memory of their earlier connection pumped a different kind of drunkenness into his head. Susan took the challenge, crossing her arms over her chest while questioning his statement. “I would have had a better time if you were there.”

            She didn’t realize how close he was until she was able to see the flecks of gold in his eyes.

            “Please don’t, Theo.” Susan whispered.

            Her plead felt like a thousand knives being dragged under his skin. “Why not?”

            Susan really didn’t have an answer. She had spent the entire evening with Teddy, teaching him how to colour outside the lines and how to fart using his armpit. It felt so natural and so relaxing that once the small boy had drifted off to sleep in her lap with Cookie Monster’s bad eating habits in full swing on the telly, Susan finally had a moment of peace to reflect. This, being right here right now, was wonderful. Not being on the dance floor, in the Hospital Wing working or amongst the Elites as she tried to balance her friendships. Those were all great and she truly did treasure each of those aspects of her life, but being right here right now put things back into perspective.

            The time spent with Teddy curled against her sent lightning up her spine. She had forgotten what it was like to have someone depend on her, to need her. Not physically like her patients or mentally like her students, but emotionally. Susan had always cherished emotional bonds.

            Her family in America was important to her. Her friends at Hogwarts were important to her. Her future career as a Healer was important to her. Her influence on the Dark Mark removal process and the sustainable memory transformation that Malfoy was working on were both important to her.

            But something was missing, as Susan’s life was finally starting to fall into place.

            “I think that things have been going fast. Too fast this year.” It was like the world was mocking her. Her she was needing to slow things down when it came to the budding relationships in her life, meanwhile Pansy was speeding things up with Harry to avoid feeling trapped. And Hermione had the audacity to simply ignore the fact that a relationship was waiting at her feet. “Is that alright?”

            “Always concerned about how others feel, aren’t you?” Theo placed a gentle kiss to Susan’s forehead. He pressed his lips tentatively and chaste. She restrained a shiver as he breathed her in deeply from his looming position.

            Frigid in place, Susan watched as Theo moved away from her. Inching away as if the world had slowed down when, in reality, Susan knew that she was being preposterous. “Hey Theo?”

            She was surprised to hear her own voice. He stopped just a step missing between them.

            Her hands traced along his jawline, encouraged to lean forward to show Theo how she deserved to be really kissed. The desperation of teeth and his hands holding her hips close melted into affection and delicacy of a quiet dance. Susan continued to smile as their lips lingered, accepting the light bumps of his nose against hers.

             “Hey Theo,” Susan repeated. “Happy birthday.”

 

* * *

 

            “Where’s Pansy and Sue?” Neville asked as Hermione came out of the girls’ bedroom to follow the smell of bacon and eggs. He sat at the table with Michael and Theo while Blaise and Terry worked in the kitchen. Draco was the only other one missing, but he had a counselling appointment that morning and would be back within the next bit.

            Hermione looked stone cold, her face harsh with grumpy edges. “Pansy never made it home last night. But she did think it was a great idea to pop in just as the sun was coming up to grab spare clothes. She woke me and wasn’t even sorry.” Hermione fumed. The tired streaks under her eyes were more evident as she sat down. “How dare she? Like I ought have-.”  
            “Hermione. Susan?” Blaise reminded the Elite, pausing her sure to be entertaining rant. “She slept here last night, yes?”

            “When Pansy woke us up this morning, Susan decided to catch a portkey over to America to visit her aunt and cousin. It’s thanksgiving so she’s taking some time off and will be back in a few days.” Hermione rattled off the answer, becoming curious in Theo as a realization dawned upon her. “Oh.”

            Theo pursed his lips. Of course Susan told her roommates about the kiss. The bloody girls shared everything. The power of Hermione’s ‘Oh’ caught up with him when the timing of the situation came to light. Susan had left right after they kissed? Coincidental, yes. But suspicious, nonetheless. “How many days?”

            “McGonagall said a week wouldn’t hurt her studies.” Hermione couldn’t drop her staring contest with Theo, even with Michael layering eggs onto her plate for her. “Susan said she wanted some time to herself.”

             Well obviously that’s how this would play out. Merlin wouldn’t have it any other way, would he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've totally been feeling the love from everyone, and I just want to give a big ol' thanks!


	17. Hurricane (here comes the sun, here comes the rain)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi I'm back.

           It’s two weeks before Susan comes back to Hogwarts.

            As worried as the boys became from the lack of contact, both Hermione and Pansy repeated that there was nothing to worry about. That Susan was completely fine and in good hands.

            Neville was the first to find out that Hermione and Pansy had been communicating with Susan via the Muggle telephone in McGonagall’s office. Luna let it slip after spending dinner with Ginny, Hermione and Pansy one evening.

            “Why isn’t she writing us? What could be so bloody important that she had to disappear off the map for half a month?” Michael whined next to Hermione in their mentoring hours. Hermione knew very well that boys happened to be a lot more dramatic compared to girls, whether they would admit it or not. Harry and Ron had introduced that truth to her early on in their friendship. “Mi, I’m begging you, I need the details.”

            “Only because it’ll shut you up.” Hermione snipped, apologizing to the second-year student she had at her desk. “She comes back tonight, in time for our thesis updates with the faculty tomorrow morning. Now either be quiet or be gone.”

            Michael almost dared to make fun of her odd usage of ‘be gone’ but decided that he in fact liked having his tongue attached to his mouth. That was his cue to dart back to their house to tell the rest of his mates about Susan’s arrival.

            Pansy was visibly uncomfortable for the remainder of Hermione’s meeting. She went from sorting marked essays to painting her nails to cleaning the tea kettle. Finally, after what seemed to be forever, the second year scattled away. “We need to protect her from them. I can’t imagine how she feels.”

            It was two weeks stuck in a limbo.

            Pansy hadn’t spoken to Harry. The sex had been fantastic that night, and the morning sex was just as good. He took her out for brunch and they spent the day together walking around Muggle London. Harry knew that no matter how badly he wanted to have Pansy in his arms again, she was in control of their speed and space. It was two weeks of openly flirting with seventh years and agreeing to random dates that Millicent set her up on.

            Hermione felt as though she was on the sidelines of her friends’ worlds passing by her. Everyone seemed to have something going on. Ron had begun dating a nice Muggle girl, Molly had taught Harry how to knit, Ginny had Quidditch team recruitment officers coming to her games, and Luna had introduced her father to Neville. Draco was missing Susan, so his thesis project was put on hold, but gave him the time to fill out transfiguration mastery apprentice application. This year would give him a mastery in potions, but Draco along with Michael both wanted to take one second masteries in the difficult subject. Hannah had asked Terry out for coffee and the pair hit it off. Blaise and Theo joined forces with Dean and Seamus as they helped redo the upstairs portion of the Leaky. By the time they planned on being done with it, it would be functioning as a hostel once again. It was two weeks of Hermione being happy for everyone around her and trying to dig herself out of the ditch.

            “What do we do?” Pansy snapped her fingers in Hermione’s face. “Susan is counting us to make the transition less shitty.”

            “The only thing we can do. Be there for her.”

 

* * *

 

             “Running away again, Bones?” Blaise joked, watching Susan make a beeline for the exit. The last of the thesis project update presentations had finished with the mixer just starting between the professors, seventh years, parents and Elites. The joke lands much more painfully than he expected. One hand on the door, Susan was frozen in place as her friends enclosed her. “Where have you been?”

            Pansy held her ground next to Hermione and McGonagall. If Susan needed their help, she knew they were there for her. Hermione looked more anxious however, staring at the floor to stay in place. McGonagall had a calm sense on her shoulders.

            “I went to visit my cousin in America for a while. Thanksgiving, and then I stayed around to help my aunt prepare the house for the Christmas holidays.” Susan spoke quietly as she turned to confront the Elites in front of her. “Sorry I didn’t write, I was busy.”

            Her reply had no friction. Theo, for one, didn’t accept it.

            “Why did you really leave us?” Every fibre in his body wanted to ask why the hell she left him. Personally, him. He spent the entire time she was gone coming to the conclusion that she left because she was scared of him. Didn’t like him. Wanted nothing to do with him after they kissed. “It was kind of selfish how you just dropped off the map and only let Hermione and Pansy know what was happening. Don’t you think that we deserved to know why you left us?”

            “It was the anniversary of my family’s death. Anniversary of the fire.” Susan’s voice trembled. Not with tears, but anger. Her eyes flashed across her friends, momentarily pleading Hermione and Pansy to save her, and then darted back to Theo. “That’s why I left you, Theo.”

            Hermione had to give it to the Hufflepuff, she was a puppeteer when it came to the feelings of others. Conversations went in the direction she demanded of them and people followed suit helplessly. She said a quick goodbye to Headmistress McGonagall before hurrying out to follow Susan into the hallway. From the few steps ahead of Pansy that she had, the slap to Theo’s cheek sounded just as shocking as it would have been if she was beside her. And how Pansy hissed ‘dickhead’ was a cherry on top.

 

* * *

 

            “Why doesn’t it affect you two as much?” Susan whispered under the covers of her bed. Hermione and Pansy were snuggled in under the darkness with her, each girl dozing in and out of sleep for the rest of the day. They skipped each class and cancelled their office hours. A house elf even appeared with snacks and drinks for them, thanks to McGonagall. “You both lost your entire families. Why am I the mess?”

            “I knew I was going to lose mine. I was the reason that I lost them.” Hermione kept her tone just as low as Susan’s. “Pansy knew that she was going to lose hers. They were the reason that she lost them.” She continued, a hum of agreement vibrating from the opposite side where Pansy lounged comfortably. “Susan, you didn’t know. Yours were taken from you. You didn’t lose them because of your decisions or theirs, you lost them because the world took them from you.”

           

* * *

 

            “Don’t be silly. You’ve already got the dress on, you might as well go now.”

            Hermione focused on doing up her heels, which she could barely see under the layers of her own outfit.

            “This is not a dress. It’s a fluffy nightmare.”

            Pansy stared hard into the mirror in front of herself, eyeing the tulle skirt and bedded features with remorse. She looked like a princess. Bright magenta, off-the-shoulder v-neckline, with cape sleeves wrapped around her shoulders. A mermaid silhouette, strong body contouring seams, and a small train at the back. Not that looking like a princess was a bad thing. It was just that Pansy was no princess. She had pulled half of her greying ombre hair up into a bun, letting the rest fall naturally.

            “It’s a gown. Not a nightmare.” Susan spun in a full twirl, the colour of amethyst and plum swinging from her strapless, cutaway gown. Satin over plisse chiffon, with a sweetheart neckline. “We look like queens.” Susan had twisted several braids along the sides of her head into a simple curly knot, dotted with yellow wildflowers.

            Oh, she was right. Pansy let her shoulders drop with a sigh. They weren’t princesses.

            They were queens.

            Hermione was picturesque, capturing a regal air. A navy sleeveless satin ball gown, with wide shoulder straps. The fitted bodice tightened around her waist and gave shape to her angelic form. Her chestnut coloured hair sat in loose rings, carefully kept out of her eyes with a diamond studded hairband. The setting sun cast shadows throughout the Parkinson residence and the rising moon teased the freshly fallen snow that covered the grounds.

            The classic Holiday Ball was about to be in full swing. A party thrown by the ministry of magic in celebrations of…well, usually having a ridiculous amount of money. This year was different though – the Golden Trio had been invited as guest speakers for the evening in hopes of raising funds for the ministry’s charity of choice: Making More Magic. It was a new effort to help rebuild the magical world after all of the devastation. Funds went in different directions as needed; a new hospital wing, refugee coverage, updating the orphanages.

            “Ready?” Hermione fumbled with the piece of parchment in her hands. The speech that she had put countless hours into was finally about to be heard. Susan and Pansy knew that she wasn’t asking them, and instead let the hero lead the way to the front hall where Harry and Ron were waiting patiently. They looked dashingly in their Muggle inspired suits.  “Are you sure we can’t arrive together?”

            “We’re right behind you.” Susan placed her hand on the dip of Hermione’s hip.

            “We’ve got your back.” Pansy agreed. No matter how much Pansy loved the attention, tonight was about Hermione and her historical moments. No matter how much Pansy wanted to walk into the party next to Harry, tonight was about Harry and his appraisal. Tonight was about their official recovery.

            “You ladies look lovely,” Ron chipped in, almost forgotten between the tensions. “You’ve got to save me a dance, Bones.”

            “In your dreams, Weasley. I’ve heard from good resources that none of the Weasley clan can actually dance without injuring their partners.” Susan sighed and breezed past her neighbouring red head. “These shoes are too cute to be stepped on by you.”

            “You used to be so much nicer.” Ron guaffed sarcastically, his comment meant in good humour.

            “I used to be so much quieter.” Susan retorted, opening the large brass front doors of the Parkinson manor. “Now, you three go first. Can’t let the stars be the late to their own night.”

 

* * *

 

            Hermione had lost sight of Pansy and Susan in a blink. She was squished between Harry and Ron in the back of a silver carriage drawn by two unicorns. The flight was quick, arriving to the hidden back entrance to the ministry as the wind pushed them forwards. As they landed, an assistant approached the coach. Just outside the latch would be hundreds of witches and wizards, hundreds of flashing lights, hundreds of opinions.

            The walk in went more smoothly than Hermione expected. She stood next to Harry and fulfilled her duty as she answered questions and posed for photographs. Harry, with his media training, took most of the interviews and only switched the answers to her and Ron when necessary. They both were outwardly thankful.

            She didn’t expect anything less from the ministry when she ran her eyes over the Hall.

            Twinkling snowflakes fell gracefully. The orchestra was made up of magical instruments with one elderly wizard leading the performance from the front with his wand. The furniture was completely made of crystal. The chandelier above daringly changed shape as it melted and refroze. The guests mixed and mingled openly.

            The trio was whisked to the stage strategically, suddenly plopped at the centre in front of the crowd without a second thought. Harry stepped forward to a round of applause after they were introduced by the Minister.

            As he spoke, Hermione gazed forward. Hundreds stared back.

            Hundreds stared back, but someone held her gaze.

            Draco Malfoy leaned against a tower with a glass of wine.

            His eyes sparked at their connection and his sulk twitched upwards.

            It had been weeks since school ended for the holidays, pulling the Elites apart after the terrible argument. Susan had effectively left the castle after gathering her things. Most students were leaving the next day so that they could stay for the Feast, but as Susan burst towards the fireplace to disappear once again, Pansy had tackled her down with Hermione. They were going to go with her. None of them had any idea where they were going until they ended up in Australia. Finally, to visit the country not to search for her parents, but to find herself. The girls had spent days travelling in an old caravan, stopping in every corner of the land of opposites. They had only arrived back in Britain the day before, deciding to stay in the Parkinson’s residence to get their lives back together.

            “And, with that, I’m pleased to be here with my friends and family in support of the ministry. I’d like to bring forward Ronald Weasley now.”

            Hermione felt the shift in the air as Ron took to the microphone. He had apparently spent days memorizing his speech with Harry so that he wouldn’t be nervous. The way his cheeks matched his hair told another story.

            As the air shifted, the crowd followed. Draco stood still though, still holding Hermione in her spot.

            She received one letter from him.

            Just one letter to let her know that he would be there when she came back, if she ever came back.

            He was the only one that wrote.

            If Hermione had to bet, she’s say she burned the rest of the gang’s notes.

            “Now, please welcome Hermione Granger.”

            Her name sounded empty as her eyes were torn away to gawk at the microphone. It was time.

            Once more, the crowd shifted. This time it revealed the rest of the truth.

            Draco was with his mother, Theo, and Blaise. At their table were Neville, Terry, and Micheal.

            Luna, Ginny. Mrs. And Mr. Weasley. Nearby were Hannah, Dean, and Seamus.

            The hundreds of faces collided to create the support Hermione never knew she had.

            “I was supposed to speak on behalf of the teamwork between the ministry and Hogwarts. I was also supposed to be nothing more than a know-it-all, and that didn’t exactly go as planned either.” The crowd tittered at her joke, with the ministry officials groaning as she went off script. “ _And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings._ Meister Eckhart.” On the other side of the Hall, a lifetime away from the rest of the Elites and their friends, stood Pansy and Susan. The pair glowed with pride, their positive vibrations sending power to Hermione on stage. “New beginnings happen every day, every time we make a new choice. We start over because it’s better than quitting. We were not raised to quit, we do not give up. A war divides us, but the healing has a way of bringing the world back together. I don’t believe in quitting, but I do believe in starting over. I started over at Hogwarts again – along with the friendships, the classes, my inner magic. I’m starting over again because I know that a fresh start is better than a dark end. We each have our own wars and every day is a chance to heal again. Who we were during the war doesn’t define us, just as today doesn’t define us either. We are who we define ourselves to be – who we prove ourselves to be. Daring, courageous, chivalrous. They’re just words until we act upon them. And I promise to continue acting upon them as I strive for a better magical future.” Hermione felt herself dancing around the ideas in her head, numb as she braced for Draco. Hermione felt herself running away again. “A magical future where we don’t have to be afraid of new beginnings.”

 

* * *

 

            If asked, Hermione wouldn’t be able to recall what happened afterwards.

            She was soon in Susan and Pansy’s arms, with a glass of champagne in her hand and the chilling feeling of needing to laugh rushing through her body. “Was it even English?”

            “Words, yes. Sentences, not so much.” Susan stuck her tongue out before taking a sip of her champagne. “What got you in such a tizzy?”

            Pansy chuckled darkly. “Let me guess.”

            She didn’t need to as Susan stumbled to the side, Draco coming in a bit faster than he should had as he rushed for Hermione.

            “Where have you been?”

            “Does it matter?”

            He didn’t laugh, he didn’t even crack a smile.

            Instead Draco stepped forward to close the distance between them. One hand wrapped around her back to pull her near while the other slipped behind her neck to stabilize her as he pushed for a kiss. Desperate was not a word that Hermione would ever use to describe Draco, but his eyes held no other emotions other than fear of her not being there.

            She was there though.

            “No.”

            Susan had managed to escape to visit Hannah, Seamus, and Dean, while dragging along Neville and Luna for support. Pansy received a front row seat for the cute-fest that was Draco and Hermione’s reuniting. “Nice dress.” Blaise’s quip of a compliment stole her attention long enough so that she didn’t vomit at the _love_ that was happening in front of her. “Can you dance in it?”

            “Is that a challenge, Mr. Zabini?” Pansy extended her hand to be led out to the dancefloor where others were partnered and spinning wildly. It was a classic pureblood routine. Blaise was respectful, not for the sense of being a gentleman, but because he really had no attraction for Pansy. “What brought you boys to the Holiday Ball? I didn’t think you’d make the list. Sure, the Elites are important, but none of you really have the funds or badges to bump you up high enough.”

            “Rumour has it that Boy Wonder made some calls.”

            No matter how loose Pansy tried to keep her body and her moves, the idea of Harry specifically getting the rest of the Elites invited to the Ball was intriguing. He had brought them all together.

            “I’ve been laying low with him in London since the holidays started. The guest room is not bad.” Blaise spun Pansy out to the length of his arm, twisting her quickly back in for a turn. “There was nowhere for me to go ‘home’ to.” Pansy dug her nails in Blaise, threatening to hurt him if he spun her so vigorously again. He knew better than anyone that ballroom dancing made her nauseous. “You should talk to him, have some closure.”

            “I owe him nothing.”

            “You owe it to yourself, you dumb bitch.” Blaise chuckled darkly.

            Pansy let her eyes wander through the Hall, catching Susan as she taught Harry the steps to the current routine. Next to each other, Susan stood an inch taller than him. Her hair was a wild bunch of flames while his was dark and out of control. Both wore their glasses – Susan had broken hers while scuba diving in Australia and had resorted to her contacts until they arrived back.

            At the song switch, Blaise took it upon himself to toss Pansy into Harry’s direction while snatching Susan out of his reach. “I’ve been solving relationship problems all night, Bones. What can I do for you?”

            “Can’t have any problems if I don’t even have a relationship to begin with.” Susan glided easily compared to Pansy, happen to be held by Blaise with the sound of classical musical and scheduled laughter.

            “Theo hasn’t stopped staring at you since we got here.”

            Susan let the beat pass before glancing sideways to, sure enough, see Theo glancing right back.

            “Good.”

            His chest shook as he did his best to focus on the dancing at hand rather than Susan’s ridiculous ego and attitude. “If you say so, Bones. I just think that for the Elites to work to the best of their abilities, we need to all get back on the same page.” Blaise dipped Susan back slowly, letting her take in the sight of her friends. “Observe. Granger and Malfoy sucked face for a full minute, and now they’re talking like no one else is in the room. Potter and Parkinson have reunited, thanks to me. Pansy may not be the best teacher when it comes to pureblood traditions, but Harry is one of the only people I know that is patient enough to be taught by her. They’re in sync again, see Bones?”

            “Hey…are you going to any of the after parties?” Susan knew that if she didn’t cut Blaise off, he would bring Theo up again and she really didn’t want to discuss any of it. “I heard that Mrs. Weasley is hosting one, but I know that the Leaky is opening up too.” The song ended, resulting in Blaise to bow lowly to kiss Susan’s hand in grace. As he bent down, Susan could spot Theo mingling on the other side of the Hall. “Even though I would love getting plastered, I drew the short straw and am the sober-witch tonight. If I’m sober, I’d rather not have Mrs. Weasley have me trace my family history to see when exactly our trees split while having the Minister breath down my neck.”

            “Leaky it is.”

 

* * *

 

            “Can I buy you a drink?”

            It was a joke.

            Everyone and their grandfather knew that Susan Bones didn’t have to pay for drinks at the Leaky.

            But it was Theo telling the joke.

            So Susan gave nothing other than an irritated eye roll in response. 

            “Sticking to water tonight,” Susan muttered from her cushioned seat. “Thanks though.”

            Theo stood in front of her booth, the flashing lights illuminating everyone behind him shakily.

            “You can sit, if you want.”

            He didn’t have to be asked twice. “You’ve got a sunburn.”

            Susan was usually so diligent about her skin regime, but Australia’s heat had gotten through to scar her freckles. For the ball, she had used magic to cover it up, but it was always best to let it breath so when she arrived to the bar, she cleared it. “Yes.”

            “Your dress is gorgeous.”

            She had found it in a second-hand shop, sending it away to the Patils for them to spruce up. It had turned out wonderfully and fit her perfectly. Susan knew that the dress was breathtaking as she moved, the underlayer being much shorter than the overlay. “Thank you.”

            “Have you been eating enough?”

            The traveling had caused Susan, and the other girls, to lose a little weight. They had been on the move constantly and were all trying new things. Whether it was learning how to surf, white water rafting, or rock climbing, their bodies were pushed to the limits. “Yes.”

            Theo sighed loudly, twisting his body to face Susan. He crossed into her bubble as he gripped against her hips for her attention. “You’re killing me, Sue.”

            All she could spit back was a single word. “Good.”

            “Please. Please, I just need you to talk to me.”

            Susan shoved her arms down to cast away his hands from her hips. “I have absolutely nothing to say to you.” She breathed in deeply. “How dare you think that I _left_ because of you? It’s not always about you. If anything, you were the reason I wanted to stay. I was sick, Theo. I was sick and I couldn’t tell anyone because I didn’t know how. You and the other boys…I wanted to keep you out of it. I thought that the less people that knew, the less real it would be. I needed time and space and change and you were in the way of that. When I came back for our presentations, you reminded me why I left. You were suddenly the reason why I had to leave. It was all about you the second time. You thought that you were the biggest part of my life, that a kiss was the reason I couldn’t be with my friends anymore. All about how much of a dick you are.”

            “I thought you had nothing to say to me.”

            It was another joke.

            But it felt like a dagger to the back of her neck.

            “Fuck off, Nott.” Susan raised a hand to smack him out of the booth. The bar’s music echoed in her mind and her drunk peers looked stunning in their fanciest clothes. “You’re not the reason that I’m coming back to Hogwarts, so don’t get excited. My education is at stake.”

            “How was I supposed to know?” Theo ducked out of the way, avoiding getting a quick smack. “How was I supposed to know what was going on if you weren’t about to tell me. One second, you’re there. And I’ve never been happier, I’ve never felt so good. The next second, you’re gone. And there’s no trace of you. I thought I did something that made you leave. Finally you’re back again, and you’re in the middle of the room. Everyone is watching you give your presentation on the Dark Marks. All I can think is – yes, yes, she’s always been here.”

            “I will always be there. Leaving doesn’t mean gone forever, it means goodbye for now.”

            Susan let Theo kiss her cheek delicately, drying the sobs that were cracking the surface.

 

* * *

 

            “Merry Christmas Eve eve!” Michael shouted as he swung open the front door to Grimmauld place. Though it wasn’t necessarily early, the house was still silent. The after-after party was held at Harry’s and involved the comfiest pyjamas available and lots of hot chocolate, with Christmas muggle movies. Terry had gone home with Hannah. Michael had disappeared about an hour before everyone else. Neville showed up an hour later than everyone else because he had taken Luna home. The rest of the Elites had crashed however. “We brought brunch.”

            The mention of food caused a stir.

            “And where did you end up last night?” Susan was first to surface, joining the boys in the kitchen. She had curled up on the loveseat and fell asleep only after making sure everyone else was ready for bed. “Pray tell.”

            “Wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.” Michael cooed back, pouring a cup of fresh coffee for her. Susan jutted an eyebrow upwards as she showed curiosity, though her mouth was full of grilled cheese. “A Mr. Lee Jordan and I had a lovely time together.”

            “Oh, you’re right, I don’t believe you.” Terry came around with a sleepy looking Blaise. Both boys took a seat and started filling their plates with hangover cures. Soon everyone else filed in – makeup smudged, hair a mess, and in a mismatch of clothes that they had slept in. “What time does your portkey leave today, Sue?”

            “The weather is bad at my aunt’s. She called this morning and suggested that I come another time, as long as I have somewhere to spend my Christmas. Pansy said I could crash at her place.” Susan replied under her breath, letting the plan sink in. It would be the first holiday without any family around. “Hermione is joining us too, I think?”

            Hermione nodded with pursed lips. Draco looked up from the mug of coffee that had stolen his focus. “Pans, you should come to my place the morning of. Mother is having the usual event. Theo and Blaise and their families are coming. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

            Pansy seemed to do a mental count of the guests. Draco and his mother. Blaise and his mother. Theo and his father. The list had definitely decreased over the years. When they had been young children, the Malfoy manor would be packed on Christmas morning. Pansy glanced over to the other end of the table, looking for confirmation from Draco. Terry and his mother and father. Michael and his mother and father. Neville and his gran. Plus Hermione, Susan, and herself. “I think you need to invite a few more people. You know, to round out the numbers.”

            “Harry and the Weasleys?” Draco pondered out loud, making eye contact with Harry who had stilled at the mention of his name.  He shrugged in response and mentioned that Mrs. Weasley will fight his mother for the ultimate mom title. “She can do the dinner. It’s settled.”

            And so it was settled. Everything had settled.

 

* * *

           

            “So, coffee?”

            Hermione looked up from her book, half expecting Draco to have brought a fresh pot to the library for her. She had been in Harry’s library since their late breakfast had ended, hiding out for a while. Almost everyone had left the home to run errands or visit others. His hands were empty though, with her coat laid neatly over his forearm and he happened to be bundled up already for the winter snow.

            “No, I’m fine, thank you.”

            Draco grunted in frustration. “That was me asking you out on a date. A real one.”

            “That’s how you ask girls out?” Hermione rolled her eyes with a smile. “ _So, coffee?_ No wonder hoards of them fall at your feet.” Out of his mind, she thought, if after they had been through that _So, coffee?_ would charm her enough.

            Their conversation the night before was a starting place. And this was his attempt at getting ready to run the race.

            “Granger, would you do me the honour of joining me for a cup of coffee? It would mean the world to me, seeing you sit across the too-small table in a café that is too-busy. And afterwards, perhaps I can introduce you to my dear mother and ask her permission for marriage.”

            “Now, now, Malfoy, the formalities are a bit much.” Hermione snapped her book shut and placed it on her lap. “Let’s go practise your technique over a cup of tea around the corner at that nice brunch place.”

 

* * *

 

            “You did well last night.” Pansy stood in the archway that led to the kitchen, watching Harry as he cleaned dishes. Teddy was seated at the table with a colouring book and a pack of crayons, though he wasn’t so much colouring as he was trying to eat the crayons. “You looked good too.”

            Harry hesitated. “Thank you.”

            His sweater was oversized, one that he probably stole from Remus’ closet. His jeans were splattered with water and soap as the breakfast dishes got away from him. A pair of slippers that Pansy had stolen a handful of times covered his feet. Harry looked at home.

            “You should invite Mrs. Tonks and lil’ Tedster to the Malfoy’s Christmas breakfast.”

            “They’re already coming to the Weasleys that night. I don’t want to tire them out.”

            Pansy breathed lowly. “Oh.” He still didn’t turn around to acknowledge her. Teddy was bouncing however and offered her a crayon to munch on along with him as a snack. She accepted the crayon and sat in the empty chair beside him, eyes wide towards Harry’s back. “Hermione said that you were thinking about hosting a New Years Eve party. That’d be cool.”

            “Yes, it should be cool.” Harry agreed, his back straightening. He was excited about being a host in his own home for more than just his core group of friends. “You are invited by the way.” Pansy’s heart jumped for joy. “Susan too, of course.” Her heart jumped so high it landed thickly in her throat.

            “I didn’t mean to upset you last night, Harry.”

            He dropped the rag he was using into the dish water and his shoulders sunk in defeat. Harry finally turned to face the confusing girl. “You can’t…Pansy, you can’t keep flipflopping. It works for Hermione and Draco. They use it as a way to keep the other on their toes, they make it healthy. Susan is a mess of emotions. She goes through them so quickly that she leaves people in dust. You saw her and Theo. And yet they all go back to her. And yet they all still want more of the unknown. I can’t do that, Pans. I need stability. Of all things in life, I need stability.”

            “But I need you.”

            “Just…bloody hell, just stop. This is me officially saying its over. Whatever we had Pansy, its over. I want someone to wakeup next to in bed. I want someone to argue with over the grocery list. I want someone to fall in love with everyday, again and again and again. I need stability.”

            The only thing that could be heard in the kitchen at that moment was Teddy’s incessant gurgling as he tried to bite down on a new crayon.

            “Let’s go back to being friends.” Harry felt weary. Pansy had a look of emptiness.

            The pair knew that they were hardly friends to begin with.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay bye bye now.


	18. XO (before they turn the lights out)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this contains my first real attempt at SMUT.   
> don't laugh, okay????

          “I didn’t understand most of what you just said.”

          “Well, that’s probably because I wasn’t really saying words. I was pretty much just making sounds and hoping no one was paying attention.” Susan admitted into her cup of coffee, which happened to be more Baileys than coffee, and tugged at the Christmas sweater the Elites had decided to adorn. Draco’s mother doesn’t usually do themed parties (never) but was inspired by the lightheartedness of the invitees.

            Michael grinned, taking a sip of his champagne. “You’re so _dumb_.”

            “I’m so _uncomfortable_ , there’s a difference.” Susan fired back easily. The Malfoy Manor was littered with people of all sorts. On the first floor, a giant tree stood at attention and drew in the crowd. The fireplace roared as people in their ugly Christmas sweaters and pyjama pants casually mingled. House Elves offered appetizers of quiche, pigs in blankets, and fresh fruit while the guests waited to be called into the dining area. “There’s got to be at least thirty people here that I don’t even recognize.”

            “That’s the pureblood lifestyle for you. Never seem to be many nowadays, but when called upon, they step up and appear. Mind you, tons of interbreeding within these walls to keep those lines clean. Take a look at that lump of a man – he’s only got four fingers on his left hand and smells like-.”

            “Michael!” Mrs. Corner pulled at her son’s ear before he could insult their hosts anymore than he already had. “For Merlin’s sake, did I raise you to behave like this? We’re going to talk to your father.” A repeated short breath of ‘ow ow ow’ echoed from Michael’s throat as his mother tugged him away into the crowd. She turned once to wish Susan a Merry Christmas. “Hope you’re enjoying yourself, dear.”

            Susan spotted Hermione chatting with Mrs. Weasley and Headmistress McGonagall across the lobby, avoiding others as they seemed deep in conversation. Just behind Hermione leaned Pansy as she looked to be arguing with Draco. Pansy and Hermione were never out of each other’s line of sights lately. And to top of the experience, Draco and Pansy wore matching outfits as requested by his mother. Red and black plaid pyjama pants with bright green sweaters – ornaments hanging off the loose threads.

            “Fun, right?” Terry had slid into Michael’s empty spot, offering Susan a fruit kebab that was dipped in chocolate. Susan left him in silence as she immediately popped one of the strawberries into her mouth. “Tonight should be too. The Weasleys always throw great parties.”

            It’s true, they do.

            “I’ve got a late portkey tonight so I’ll have to leave early, but I’m definitely stopping by.” Susan had finally rescheduled her trip to visit her family. Terry thumped out a nod and rocked back on his heels. “Granger and Parkinson are coming along.”

            “Good you girls could use some quiet time. Did you do anything last night?” The boys had all gone home to their families for Christmas Eve, leaving the girls to find entertainment for themselves. “Harry said that he invited you all over.”

            “We drank hot chocolate and played board games and listened to music.” Susan thought contently back to the night before. Hermione and Harry were best friends. Pansy and Harry were dealing with whatever kind of breakup they had. And Susan and Harry simply made awkward eye contact every so often as she crushed him in Monopoly. “It was nice.”

            Mrs. Malfoy gracefully entered the party, looking snug in a onesie. It was a sight that Susan never thought she would see.

 

* * *

 

            Hermione managed to knock her little spoon to the ground.

            She and Draco both bent down from their chairs to pick it up.

            He grabbed her sleeve quickly, keeping her down. She couldn’t contain her smile as he pecked his lips against hers. “You alright, love? You haven’t said anything since brunch started.”

            “I don’t know what to say.” Hermione recognized it was unusual for her to sit silently, especially with Harry across from her, Draco to one side and Neville to her other. She and Draco were finally officially something. Feelings were on the table and neither wanted to mess it up before it can even really start to burn.

            “Can’t believe I’m going to say this, but…” Draco smirked, “I think you should be yourself. Startle them, Granger, make them think.”

            This time Hermione pecks his lips, pleased with him.

            Under the tablecloth, amongst the clinking of glasses and happy conversations, she decided that she had nothing to hide anymore. So, Hermione popped her head up again and zeroed in on Mr. Nott. It was like Theo felt her staring down his elderly father and squirmed in excitement.

            “Mr. Nott, I must ask you what your thoughts are on legislation 915. I remember reading that you were the last councilmember to sign on – abolishing the contract. Was there a specific reason you didn’t think unicorns should be treated with the utmost amount of respect?”

            “915?” Mr. Nott muttered, the entire table going deathly silent.

            Hermione could hear Susan’s scattered thoughts as she attempted to design escape plans.

            “Yes, 915 was going to abolish the use of unicorn hair in wand development. Because of you, and several others on the council, we still farm the wild animals even though we know the stress cuts their lifespans in half.” Hermione placed her elbows on the table, daring the rest of the guests to say anything. Draco’s hand laid high against her thigh with a soul-crunching smirk. “Just looking for your thoughts, Mr. Nott.”

            Pansy snorted as she tried to keep herself from laugh, which Susan immediately covered up by coughing loudly and abruptly. The silence continued so long that even Susan lost her patience. “Fucking Merlin.” It was a low whisper, but cool enough for Theo to hear next to his father.

            “That’s from quite a long time ago, times have changed since your generation. I suppose it is time to look back at failed legislation.” Mr. Nott perked up in his seat, glancing over to Susan who was now red from head to toe. “Are you looking to get into politics, Ms. Granger?”

            “Not at all, just looking to make a difference.” Hermione replied smoothly. “Did you know that Pansy has done some field research at a unicorn farm for a paper? Apparently there is statistical proof that wild unicorns which had come forward to wizards have stronger magic than the ones we capture.”

            Mr. Nott, along with the rest of the pureblood guests, seemed interested suddenly. “Care to tell me more, Ms. Parkinson?”

            Pansy launched forward, very excited to talk about her research paper and her experience at the unicorn farm she had with Hagrid. Hermione leaned back, high on the of speaking up. Susan rose from her seat, excusing herself to get some fresh air.

 

* * *

             

            Unlike the Malfoys, the Weasley’s had decked out their home in cheeky Christmas decorations but demanded that party clothes be worn. Dinner was informal as the Elites joined the Weasleys and a few select guests. The meal was astronomically better than anything Pansy had ever tasted.

            “It’s the love she puts in it.” Hermione explained, noting Pansy’s sweet hum.

            Dinner ends and the party begins. It feels like the entire wizarding community shows up.

            Hagrid came dressed as a (drunk) Santa Claus and Mrs. Weasley matched him in a Mrs. Claus’ outfit. Fresh cookies were continually floating on trays around the house, along with pitchers of wine that automatically filled up low glasses. Near the stairs was a full bar that was taken on by Mr. Weasley and Ron. The two redheads were joking and laughing loudly, over the mix of popular music and Christmas tunes. The backyard had been cleared and charmed to create a warm dancing area.

            Garland, ornaments, and candy canes were everywhere. The rest of the Weasley children were dressed up as elves. And Pansy could have sworn that she saw a reindeer trotting around at one point.

            She kept her eyes sharp on the pitcher of red wine that soar near her, not wanting to get anything spilt on her tonight. Metallic gold mini cocktail dress. Hermione wore lilac with frills down to her knees. And Susan gave zero fucks as her sleeved dress clashed with her hair colour.

            One aspect of the night that Pansy never could have expected was the magical mistletoe.

            It seemed about right though, that when she tried to move her feet wouldn’t budge forward. If only she could get a friend’s attention to save her before anyone really noticed and cause a -

            “Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first two victims! I mean lucky guests!” Ginny Weasley, in her terrible elf outfit, jumped up and down from the doorway to the backyard. “Pansy Parkinson and Harry Potter have been caught under the mistletoe!”

            The shrill giggle that came from Ginny next wasn’t her, and didn’t feel human.

            Pansy can feel her shoes lift up and down, allowing her to move in circles but nowhere else.

            Harry seemed to be doing the same dumb dance.

            “Gotta kiss for the release!” Who knew Ginny was the worst Weasley of the bunch. “A real one, because I don’t mess about when I magic up some drama!”

            Harry had a deer-in-the-headlights look about him, obviously terrified.

            The last time they had talked was their fight.

            The following conversations had no meaning behind the words.

            “Let’s just get it over with.” Pansy could feel no meaning behind his words. He closed his eyes prematurely and stiffened up. Pansy linked her fingers through his, their glasses of liquor clinked dangerously as she shifted against him. Searching for his words again, looking for some meaning, Pansy pressed once simply, backing away as soon as it happened. Only instead of Harry backing away as well, his fingers tightened around hers and followed her movement.

            Her glass dropped without a second thought – she could replace the rum, but Harry may never be this close to her again.

            Her free reached for the back of his neck and drew across until she placed it openly on his cheek. His breathing was even and calm as he swung his drink behind her back, undoubtedly getting some of his red wine on her dress. But Pansy couldn’t give two shits in that moment about her dress or about the number of people gawking.

            She kissed him, again and again and again, until she felt the meaning come back to their words.

            She had forgotten the smell of his cologne and the feeling of his curls between her fingers. The sound of their teeth clashing would have been embarrassing except she was so incredibly happy to be competing for control with him again. Harry had always been the one she was willing to fight with and happy to lose to.

            At some point Susan and Hermione came to Pansy’s rescue.

            One of them yelled shots while the other took a knee and chugged back from a vodka bottle.

            It definitely took the attention away long enough for Pansy and Harry to walk out the front door.

           

* * *

 

            Hermione watched as Harry and Pansy came back into the party, inconspicuously. Susan had entered a moment before them, looking blank as a ghost. If Hermione had to take a guess, she’s say Susan saw way too much of Harry for her taste. But she had to remind Pansy that they were leaving in ten minutes.

            His hand laid on the small of Pansy’s back, covering the red wine stain that was forming. They strolled through the crowd to start saying their goodbyes to everyone. The three girls wouldn’t be back until New Years Eve.

            “Kind of pissed at the Weaslette for not setting that mistletoe on us.” Hermione could feel Draco’s presence before he spoke. “I wanted a reason to kiss you in front of everyone.”

            “Always looking for attention, aren’t you?” She tilted her head back to speak with him, her body still face away. “You know you don’t need a reason to kiss me in front of everyone.”

            “Thank Merlin.” His hands felt heavy against the thin layer of her dress, his breath hissing against her bare neck. Draco braced himself as he cupped Hermione’s chin. Lightly, breathlessly; he tasted like power.

 

* * *

 

            Susan fiddled with the mitten in her hand. It was their portkey.

            Hermione was saying her goodbyes along with Pansy now, leaving Susan to wait outside by herself. The moon cast shadows over the fields and hills and the stars blinked as snowflakes breezed through the air. The party was still in full swing, barely past ten o’clock. The warmth from her drinks still kept her cozy even in the dipping temperature.

            Susan wasn’t a dumb girl. She had brought a coat, and wore a hat. She had gloves and even switched out of her heels into a pair of comfy boots.

            Susan wasn’t a dumb girl, so she knew that when the crunching of snow under shoes approached, she knew it wasn’t one of the girls.

            “Theo, listen, I know that you want to talk but I-.”

            Susan wasn’t a dumb girl.

            Adrian looked good. A dark red dress shirt, paired with a black tie, and jeans that fit his ass way to well. He looked good with a confused little smile and his hair tossed under a Santa hat. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

            “Disappointed?” Adrian would have been hurt if it weren’t for the giant smile that was crossing Susan’s face. “I know that you’re heading out, but I wanted to ask you before you left. Want to be my date for New Years?”

            Susan wasn’t a dumb girl. So when she spotted Theo hiding in the dark entrance of The Burrow, highlighted by the movement behind, she knew her answer already.

            “I want to go into the New Year by myself.”

            Somehow Adrian understood.

            “As long as I get the first dance of the New Year.”

            It was a deal.

 

* * *

 

            **3**

 

            Harry spotted her shoes first.

            Red strappy tie heels that were too high and too chunky, and they did nothing but draw attention up tanned legs to her incredibly short dress.  Cami straps of white on a contrast overlay that slipped over her head. The dress was slim, tugging at her petite form, the cut narrowing to sit close to her body.

Pansy looked like a dream.

            She was a flurry of confidence and excitement as she walked into the bar. She strutted past the hoards of people that surrounded the pair of them. She reached him at the standing table, one hand balancing her as she found herself lost.

            “I came as quickly as I could.” Pansy pouted, the counting growing louder. “I don’t want to be anywhere else right now.” Harry shifted from one foot to the other, unnerved. “I’m not ready to be tamed, but I’m ready to be with you.”

 

            **2**

 

            Draco had helped pick out her outfit.

            An organza party long sleeve dress with a stand collar, covered in polka dots and ruffles.

            Teal pointed toe patent pumps that were sharp enough to kill a man.

            Hermione stole the show when she walked in.

            “How do you feel?”

            Amongst the ridiculously crowded bar, even with his best mates only feet away, the question seemed hallow. Draco’s stomach dropped and his blood burned. Watching Hermione had always been one of his favourite pastimes, even as a child, and now here she was watching right back.

             “Ready.”

 

            **1**

            The world around her erupted.

            Susan had never felt such energy.

            Love, joy, hope. It filled the air and could be breathed in.

            To her right, she spotted Harry and Pansy sharing a cute kiss.

            To her left, Draco and Hermione were caught up in each other.

            And there she stood, arms up as if she could reach the disco ball above – as if the world was just out of her finger tips.

            No matter what Hermione said, a new year was the chance to start over. It may just be a date on the calendar and it may only last for half a moment, but it was a moment that Susan wanted to share with no one else.

            Bottles of champagne were popped.

            Streamers, balloons, fireworks.

            Susan’s feet hurt from dancing. She had been at the bar since it opened, helping Dean and Seamus get ready for what they expected to be their night of the year. Hermione and Pansy had arrived later, minutes before midnight struck. Whether it was for a dramatic effect or not, it worked.

            Her feet burned even in the sneakers she wore, the plain black romper stretched across her body drenched in sweat. The red ringlets had been pulled up into a knot to get some cold air. The cardigan she had worn there was long forgotten.

            In the middle of the dance floor, amongst happy couples and celebrating strangers, Susan finally felt like she was ready to be herself again.

 

* * *

 

            He found her in the kitchen an hour past midnight.

            The bar was still in full swing, but Susan was deep into a bag of marshmallows.

            “I’ve been looking for you.” Theo admits, walking slowly as to not startle her.

            “Figured you would be.” Susan shrugged, tossing another marshmallow into her open mouth.

            “And I figured you’d be here with Adrian.” Theo admits again, sheepishly.

            Susan leaned against the cool fridge, drying the heated sweat that creeped over her body. The months came flying towards her as every moment flashed before her eyes. Every moment flashed until Susan apologized. “Sorry for being a bitch.”

            “Sorry for being a dick.”

            “After the fight, after that all happened, I thought it would all settle and everything would go back to normal.” Susan tosses a marshmallow in Theo’s direction, making him lunge to catch it in his mouth. “And I don’t know if it’s the bottle of wine that is making me realize this, but I really don’t deserve you. You were too good for me, too ready for whatever crazy shit was going to happen between us.”

            A half of a moment passes.

            Theo rolled his eyes and without hesitation closed the gap between them, grabbing her face and pressing his lips against her passionately. Susan was tense at first but she relaxed under his touch kissing him back, the natural feeling consuming her. When he pulled away he looked at her, “I’ve been trying to be with you since the beginning of the year and you say you’re not good enough for me?” He laughed softly and she blushed. He distanced himself from her again and waited for her to say something.

           Susan sat there studying him. The last thing she planned to do that night was sleep with Theodore Nott but she couldn’t help but feel attracted to him. And that kiss...my god that kiss made everything quiver, made every inch of remember the feeling to be held by him.

           She groaned, “Oh fuck it.” Susan closed the distance once again crashing her lips against his. He happily obliged pulling her body closer to his, pushing her closer against the fridge. His heat mixed with the chill of the wall, a sensation shivering through her entirety.

          He slid his hands down her body and to her ass, he hoisted her up and she wrapped her legs around him not breaking the kiss.

          Theo set Susan down on the kitchen counter and pulled away. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up and off his body. Susan bit her lip and Theo smirked cupping her face again and pressing his lips against her again. She let her fingers trail down his chest and he sighed under her touch. She smiled against his lips as he slid one of his hands up her thigh and between her legs, under the shorts of her romper to feel her heat. She arched her back as he rubbed her clit through her leggings.

          Susan grabbed onto his arm and proudly lets out a moan. She pushed her hips into his hand for better friction as he begins to pet her heavily. Theo nuzzled his nose down her neck, soft breaths tickling her just right. He trailed kisses dangerously across her collar bone and just listens to her soft moans.

         The hardness in his pants was evident and getting restricting so he pulled away from her and reached for his pants. Susan hopped off the counter and unzipped him. She met his gaze, and they were both hungry with want to explore each other’s bodies. After all they had been through, it had built up to this. It had built up to finally getting there.

         No amount of fooling around and making out and flirting could justify the unpreparedness Susan felt when Theo went as far to strip himself of his boxers too.

         At this point Theo was completely naked standing in the bar’s kitchen. Susan smirked and looked him up and down before giggling at the situation.

        “This isn’t fair.” Theo groaned out, reaching for her.

       “Maybe you’re right…maybe _you_ don’t deserve _me._ ” She flirted with him easily and it drove him wild. He grabbed onto her and crashed his lips into hers. She slowly guided them farther back into the kitchen’s prep room where she lost the top of her romper in the process as he shoved the straps down her shoulders. Theo had no he second thoughts as he unhooked her bra, and admired what he remembered so well. He leaned down and kissed down in between her chest and grabbed one of her tits with his hand. He trailed his tongue around the other one and Susan pressed her body up into his.

       Susan didn’t know exactly when Theo managed to get the romper totally off, along with her panties and sneakers.

       He kissed down her body and she squirmed underneath him. The fact she that she wanted him so bad made him want to last all night long. He slid one of his fingers in her slit and flicked his tongue against her clit working her up.

      When she moaned out his name he slid another finger in and sucked on her.

      She pulled at him and he made her way back up to her mouth where she kissed him deep, tasting herself.

      Before they knew it Theo had _accio’d_  a condom from the wallet that was lost amongst their clothes.

     Dean and Seamus would not be pleased to know that Theo had fucked Susan thoroughly beside their stash of paper towels and dishwasher.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GOD   
> I am so sorry you had to go through that


	19. Never Be The Same (just one hit of you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, Kudos, Etc. Etc. Etc. 
> 
> Thanks dudes

 

            Hermione begins to count the time by birthdays.

            Michael in February. A simple dorm party between the Elites and their partners. He invited Lee.

            Teddy in April. Harry got the tot his very first broom.

            Terry and Pansy celebrated together in April as well. Everyone went on a trip to Greece.

            Draco in June.

            It barely counted as a birthday, never mind a party. Their thesis presentations were due in a week, along with all of Hogwarts being in full swing of finals. No one was really in the mood to celebrate or go wild, even though each undoubtedly believe they could have used a little _wild_.

            As Draco Malfoy’s girlfriend though, she made it her duty to make sure he had a good day.

            If anyone asked Draco if he had a good birthday, he would just smile.

            That was the day that Hermione told him how much she liked him.

            Loved him.

           

* * *

 

            Mrs. Malfoy was hesitant at first when Susan approached her. Draco was persistent though, encouraging both women to talk about the opportunity. She had done it; she was able to change the Dark Mark – Susan had freed Draco of a relentless past.

            So there she stood in her regal form, on the stage in the Great Hall. Susan spoke for almost an hour: theories, mistakes, results, trials. All of Hogwarts was present, along with representatives from the top leading hospitals and governments from across the world. They were all there to watch Mrs. Malfoy be freed of her Dark Mark.

            “If you would, please?” Susan finally nodded towards her, bringing her subject forward. The crowd shifted at her presence. The crowd shifted at her bravery. Mrs. Malfoy rolled up her long sleeve to reveal the sickening tattoo. It slithered still to this day, causing a field of unhappiness whenever she looked at it. “Here we go.”

            A shush hurries through the Hall, calling all attention to the young woman and her wand.

            The only sound was the tears that gasped from Mrs. Malfoy.

            With a touch of Susan’s wand, a mumble of an enchantment, the Dark Mark was gone.

            Her history was gone.

 

* * *

 

            The presentations continued, with greatness increasing from the bones of the Elites.

            Each pulled out all the stops to convince themselves and wizarding world why this school year was worth it, why this school year made a difference. They dazzled and surprised and elated emotions from those that had none before.

            Then came Draco. Last but not least.

            It took a few minutes to set up the equipment. It was long enough for Susan to bite her tongue.

            “You’re going to be fine, Sue.” Pansy whispered under her breath, comforting her friend.

            Hermione nodded and rubbed little circles on Susan’s palm for support. She really was going to be fine.

            The hour comes to a close and Susan is called up on stage to join Draco.

            “Let’s take a look, shall we?”

            Draco stood next to Susan behind the sheets of equipment. A bright light brushed over their bodies, illuminating the other side of the sheet with their silhouettes and their auras. A deep purple mixed with gold shaded over Draco, while there laid nothing but a space around Susan. A single space and then a dark outline.

            “Dark Marks are so much more than a tattoo, a stigma. Everyone carries their own dark marks. For those of us that can create a Patronus, things are cleansed through thoughts and feelings and our surroundings.” Draco explains as he stirs the potion brewing once more. “For those of us that can’t, magic feels lifeless.”

            Susan took a deep breath, visible to the entire world. She dunked back the foul tasting drink.

            “What I’ve done, what we were able to do, is find that magic again.”

            Susan’s silhouette shimmered as the potion spread through her veins. Her heart pumped loudly, sending the power shooting to every inch of life within her. The blank space began to disappear as the black shine grew closer to her direct outline. The audience missed it, but Susan felt it in every cell. The black shine flashed to an orange with red streaks. Susan felt whole again.

 

* * *

 

            The day came when it was time to pack up the Elites’ dorm.

            It was slow and filled with laughter from the boys.

            Neville was moving rather than packing, as he accepted a role at Hogwarts for September. Professor, after of course he finished his mastery study deep in Brazil’s rainforest.

             Terry was to spend the summer in Ireland to finish his mastery, and had already been offered a position on Accidental Magic Reversal Squad.

            Michael was moving into the apartment above Ollivanders – to become his apprentice.

            Theo and Blaise were spending the summer at Beauxbatons to finish their studies.

            Draco was invited to Egypt to finish his mastery alongside Bill Weasley.

 

            Hermione, Pansy, and Susan danced to a slower beat that day.

 

            Their next five years were already planned out.

            It was what they wanted, but it wasn’t how they wanted to say goodbye.

            Pansy had broken up with Harry the day before, out of the blue.

            “America?” He had stuttered. “I thought you were studying along with Charlie?”

            “I was accepted to a Muggle vet school there. I’m going to spend the summer finishing my mastery with one of Luna’s father’s friends. I’ll be an official magizoologist. The veterinarian bit, that’s to challenge me. I hope you understand, Harry.”

He did. But understanding didn’t stop him from being upset.

            Theo noticed the backpack before anyone else did. It sat next to Susan’s trunk, already packed and looked as if it had been packed for several weeks already.

            “You don’t look all that excited for Zimbabwe.” Susan was set to learn about Shonas as the last step to her mastery in healing. “Where’s the suitcase I leant you?”

            “I sent it back to your dad this morning.” Susan explained hastily. “I don’t need it, it wouldn’t do well on the trip and I don’t want to ruin it, and besides you might need it while I’m gone and I don’t even know when I’ll be back to give you the suitcase so really it just makes sense to-.”

            “Don’t know when you’ll be back?” Theo stumbled on Susan’s words. “Graduation is in September. You have to be there.”

            “I’ve extended my trip. Two years instead of two months.” Susan slumped down on her bed for the last time. “Zimbabwe, Nepal, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines –.”

            She drifted off once Theo settled into a blank gaze. “Why?”

            “I’m going to learn more about other types of magical healing. We hardly know anything about _anything_ and I want to know more.” He wouldn’t be mad; he couldn’t be mad. While the pair enjoyed each other’s company, they remained friends for the rest of the year. Sure, they sometimes ended up in the same bed, and sure, they sometimes grossed out their roommates with their overboard flirting, but it didn’t change the fact that –

            “I love you though.”

            Susan would deny it to the day she died, but that was the moment she hated Theodore Nott.

            “Fuck you.” She spat before raising her hand to his cheek, smacking him with all of her might.

            The rest of the dorm heard it. The echo, the groan, the heated rage.

            “How dare you.” Susan scolded him as he tried to shift his jaw back into place. “You can’t do that to me. You’re not allowed to make me feel that way.”

            Hermione cringed when Draco approached her in the kitchen, placing a kiss where her neck met her shoulder. It wasn’t the reaction he had been expecting so he took it as a cue to take a step back. “I suppose you’re going to tell me you’ll be leaving for a couple of years as well.”

            “I’m a homebody and we all know it.” Hermione countered, shaking her head in disbelief. “I don’t feel like I’m doing enough though. Pansy and Susan have so much to work towards and I’m here.”

            “Finish your mastery. Help design and put forward the Malfoy Manor Adoption Centre. Become one of the youngest presidents for a billion-dollar company – Parkinson Pictures.” Draco listed off her next few goals, counting them on her fingers to prove his point. “You’re right where you belong, with me.”

           

* * *

 

**Epilogue. Five Years Later.**

* * *

 

           “We are gathered here today, friends and family, to celebrate the bond between Harry James Potter and his third best selling novel.” The joke landed, Seamus announcing happily into the microphone. He stood tall on the bar table, ignoring Dean’s disapproving looks and Hannah’s constant chant of ‘jump jump do a trick jump.’ “Hey man, third times a charm, maybe I’ll actually read this one.”

            Harry scoffs at his buddy, beer in hand and accepts the embarrassing amount of praise and teasing that he receives. Seamus had never picked up one of his books, and definitely would never read one of them. None of the survivors would. They find that the line between memory and story begin to fade when they do.

            “Enjoy, Potter! And everyone remember, he’s even richer now, so he’s buying tonight!” Seamus cheers one last time before Dean pulls him down. The music starts up again and servers make rounds with drinks and snacks.

            They’re all there.

            Luna, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Draco, Hannah, Terry, Michael, Lee, Theo, Ginny, Blaise, George, Angelina, Fred, Oliver, Cho, Ron.

            They’re missing though.

            Hermione had been gone for eight months now. She was in Australia as she branched out Parkinson Pictures internationally. She and Draco had decided not to do the long distance thing, but Draco would never tell her that she was still the only one on his mind.

            Pansy had come back for three months within the past five years. It was for Professor Trelawney’s funeral, two years into her leaving. For those three months, she stayed with Harry. It hadn’t even been a question.

            Susan had not come back. Sixty months now. She sent postcards to her friends, but never with a return address. Instead she sent recipes from the regions she visited and pictures of the people she was helping heal.

            Harry sat in their usual booth, next to Ron and his fiancé, Farah. She was a sweet Muggle girl with a big heart and an ability to listen through all of Ron’s crap. Oliver and Cho had found each other, and connected the first September – they eloped the second September. Terry was pressed against Harry as well, bouncing the baby that sat on his lap, pretending to wave to Hannah as she worked the DJ booth. Harry had to admit, Kamal was adorable, but nothing compared to Teddy who had grown into a strapping young boy.

            “Harry!” It was almost comical how Hermione ran from oneside of the bar to the other, heaving herself over the table between them to land in his lap. She looked comfortable after travelling all day in a long sheer shirt with a floral print and loose jeans. “I came as fast as I could! You know that I would never miss this. I am so proud of you.”

             Hermione repeatedly kissed Harry’s cheek to show her appreciation. Of all the survivors, she was the only one that read the books – she was the one that decided on the cover art.

             A crowd formed around the booth, welcoming the President of Parkinson Pictures back to the UK. She eventually slid out of the booth and off Harry to give him some room to breath. Eight months was a long time to be away, especially when the years before had been too good to forget. Hermione never forgot what it was like to argue with Draco about where they would go for dinner, or how he brought home books instead of flowers. The tea they shared before bed or their trips to the beach on weekends in the warmer months. Draco had taken on a curse breaker role at the ministry to work on breaking dark artefacts, being promoted to top ranks even with his young age thanks to his skills and dedication.

            “How long are you staying this time?”

            He’s standing there, waiting for an answer. Hoping that she’ll say what he wants to hear. Hoping that he’ll have a reason to go to his mother again to ask for the family ring.

            “You remember Maisy Renolds? She’s joining the team as an international intern.” Hermione let Draco, and the rest of the crowd she had drawn in, ponder the thought. “Which ultimately means that yes, I’m home. And I plan on staying home for quite some time.”

            Draco’s glass of liquor shattered to the floor as he collided with Hermione. He needed both hands to hold onto her as he kissed her, he wanted to be as close as he could be to her. “Thank bloody Merlin.”

            The action made Harry’s stomach churn. Even with Pansy gone, he still got to watch her on the telly whenever he wanted. After vet school, Pansy was hired at a facility where film crews came in to watch as the doctors saved the animals. Of course Pansy was very Pansy about the whole ordeal, being the vet that they sent out into the wilderness to save the wildlife rather than the American pets that came in. And of course Pansy basked in the fame she had found, loving every second of her screen time, mostly because she got to show the world what she loved to do. The Vet Vixen is what she was nicknamed by the press, and Harry didn’t think there was any better way to describe her.

            In the commotion of Hermione’s arrival, Hannah had lowered the volume of the DJ booth. Someone cleared their throat on the stage which drew everyone’s attention back to the center and off of Hermione.

           Magic still kept Harry on his toes, in awe of the many forms it came in. For instance, in that moment, magic could be defined as how Pansy stood on the leveled stage in her bright red dress pants and a black boxy t-shirt resembling an angel.

          She had cut her hair short again, in an angled bob. The grey highlights had been taken out and replaced with a sparkly silver headband. “I read the dedication in your book, Harry. Mastered magizoology, check. Become surgical veterinarian, check. Accidently find fame, check. I asked myself after reading your dedication, _where will I find my next challenge?_ And my answer was right in front of me – _do something that terrifies you._ Something that makes your skin crawl and your blood boil, something that pushes you to the edge so that you never want to wake up. The thing that terrifies me the absolute most is being with you, and that’s because I never want to be without you.”

          Luna could be heard ridiculously loud as she balled her eyes out somewhere in the darkness of the bar.

          The night continued, the feeling as though everything was right channeled through the bar patrons. Everyone is happy, even Theo.

          “Theo, I wanted to show you some of the photos I took today in Australia before coming back. It was with some of the Natives there and is going to be used a geographical article.” Hermione appears next to Theo, with Pansy now on his other side. Neither girl wanted to leave each other alone. As much as they missed Harry and Draco, Pansy and Hermione had also been apart for too long. “I think you’ll like them.”

         Pansy held up a few of the moving pictures. The red dust swirled through the open outback, with some of the native people dressed in traditional clothing as they danced and celebrated. Red wind, red paint, and red hearts, Theo still couldn’t miss the flash of red that stood bright against the rest.

         The curls swayed as Susan was hugged by a group of the children. She too was dressed in the traditional garments, with tribal paintings and the red dust lightly covering her porcelain skin. He flipped through the handful of pictures, each with only mere glimpses of his old classmate.

         Finally, the last photo that Pansy handed to him was a portrait that Hermione had taken.

         Susan looked freshly showered, with her long red curls bouncing as she shifted from one foot to the other. She laughed outwardly, staring off to the side before settling her eyes on the camera in front of her. Susan wore no makeup in the picture so her freckles were emphasized along her cheek bones and the sprinkle on her nose. Most of all, Susan looked tired – exhausted even. Behind her was a house setting, with a plant and a bright window, as she sat on a whicker chair.

       “It’s yours to keep. She wanted you to have it.” Hermione fingered at the edge, inching to take it back but resisted. “I told her that you would probably prefer to have the real deal. And she agreed.”

       Theo reluctantly hands the beautiful picture back over to Hermione, stuck still in place until he heard her voice.

       “Hi.”

       She leaned against the doorway to the bar’s kitchen, knowing fully well what that space meant to the both of them. A knotted yellow t-shirt sat against the high-rise denim pencil skirt, looking about as unnatural as possible. Theo suspected that she hadn’t worn normal, casual clothes in a very long time – at least clothes that weren’t caked in mud and blood.

        Theo thought he echoed back the same greeting, but Susan gave no indication to hearing it.

        “I spent weeks in the outback collecting snake venom. I believe it will improve our burn salves if we poach it with low heat and add-.”

        “I really don’t care.” Theo stated, finding himself closer to someone who he thought only existed in his memories now.

        Susan squeaked, “I know.”

        She was certain that he really didn't care when he smiled against her lips; he would never really care. 


End file.
